The Serpent's Touch
by The Shiax Artist
Summary: Jack finally becomes Chase's ally after a seemingly simple task, but at what cost? Violence, cursing, and yaoi in later chapters. Jack x Chase
1. The Start of the Problem

Okay, this is my first Xiaolin Showdown fiction, please review and comment. This is a yaoi between Jack Spicer and Chase Young. This gets more violent and has more cursing in later chapters, hence the mature rating.

Xiaolin Showdown and the characters do not belong to me, but the plot for this story and the serpent creature are mine.

**Edit: Hey guys! I'm SO SORRY that this has taken me forever to work on. I've just been really down lately and dealing with my Great Grandmother, she's really old and really sick and I know she's going to pass soon so it takes a toll on my whole family. **

_**The stuff you guys actually give a shit about:**_

_**I'm almost done with chapter two and I'll try and have it up within the week. Due to a comment by a reader I went back and did some tinkering to make this (hopefully) easier to read.**_

**Edit again! Because this thing is stupid and I hate its face!:  
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**The text program I use apparently hates this site so I have to do a lot of editing. I'M SORRY!**_**  
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><p>"Please Chase, I'll do anything to join you!" Jack said pleadingly from his place on the ground, staring up at the warlord with big puppy-dog eyes. Chase stood glaring down at Spicer with his usual unamused look. Chase didn't hate Spicer, in fact he found the teen amusing and highly intriguing, but he was getting tired of Jack's plea. He thought of what he could do to get the unrelenting teen off of his back for a while. Chase smiled inwardly and crossed his arms behind his back.<p>

"All right Spicer, I will give you one more chance to prove yourself."

Jack's face lit up and he jumped to his feet.

"Really? Thank you Chase!"

Jack stood there smiling like an idiot as Chase turned his back and walked to the center of his throne room, the teen in tow. Chase raised a hand and a small table rose out of the ground, displaying a small map of an area somewhere east of where they were. Chase pointed to a small section and the map expanded to show a large golden valley made of shimmering golden flowers and a small cave.

"This cave holds a Shen gong wu that I hid there long after its activation. In light of recent events I need to retrieve it, but I am a busy man and-"

"So you want me to go and get it for you?" Jack interrupted quickly. Chase retracted his hand and placed it back behind him.

"Yes, this will be your test. If you are able to retrieve the Shen gong wu and return here with it. Then I will accept you as an ally and I will find a use for you."

Jack lit up and turned to leave for the cave.

"Spicer, one more thing."

Jack stopped and looked back at his idol's golden glare.

"If you return without the wu in hand I will personally feed you to my warriors."

Jack shivered as a few of the large cats purred and shifted from their places around the dark room.

"R-right..."

Jack swallowed hard and ran out, activating his heli-bot when he was outside and heading right for the cave. Jack had brought a dozen Jack-bots with him and they all followed him dutifully. After about an hour of flying in the darkening sky, he spotted the strange golden valley and dropped down lower to look for the cave. He sniffed the air and found that the flowers were emitting a very strong burnt, yet sweet smell. He spotted the cave and grinned happily before flying to the entrance. He took an eager step inside only to scream and jump back when a loud beeping noise went off. He quickly re-caught his breath and pressed the button on his com-link.

"What do you want Wuya, I'm busy." Jack asked bitterly, angry about being scared half to death before he could even get inside the cave. Wuya brushed back her long red hair with a stray hand and leaned closer to the screen.

"I just wanted to know when you would be back from your groveling, I'm bored out of my Heylin mind here."

"For you information I don't grovel, I beg. There's a difference. Besides, I'm on a mission for Chase right now." He said with a proud smirk. Wuya frowned.

"A mission? What kind of mission?"

"I'm retrieving a wu for him."

"And he trusted you to beat the monks?"

"There won't be any, he said he hid it long after its activation."

"Jack...if he's the one that hid it, there are bound to be traps around it."

"I know, but if it's to impress Chase I'll do anything."

"Jack, you're going to get yourself killed-"

"Relax Wuya, I brought the Monkey Staff, the Glove of Jisaku, the Serpent's Tail, and the Culver Crystal. Trust me Wuya baby, came prepared."

Jack smiled and cut off the connection, setting it to silent so he wouldn't be scared half to death again, at least not by the com. He grabbed the Monkey Staff and Serpent's Tail from one of his Jack-bots and pulled out the Culver Crystal and dropped the amulet around his neck. He stepped into the dark cave and quietly activated the Monkey Staff and Culver Crystal, keeping the Serpent's Tail in hand. He shifted the Monkey Staff to his back and made his way into the small cave.

The cave was just large enough for his Jack-bots to follow him. The cave's walls seemed to glitter and shine when the light from the Culver Crystal glanced over them. He ran his hand along the smooth stone, he took note that the cave was not naturally made and had instead been carved out by some intense heat. He swallowed hard and forced himself to keep walking, despite the many frightening questions that haunted his overactive brain. He frowned when he started to realize he was now heading down a slight angle. He walked for quite a while before he came to a large dome-like room.

"No traps so far..." He said to himself, shivering when a slight breeze blew past him. He took the Culver Crystal in hand and aimed it around the room. The room was just as bare as the rest of the cave, he aimed the crystal at the far side of the room and spotted an area where a small golden pedestal was inset into the wall. Set upon the pedestal was a bright white horn with golden accents and detailing.

"That must be the wu..."

He quickly typed into his com-link and an image of the horn appeared along with a short description.

'This Shen gong wu, known as the Unicorn Horn, is used to heal any and all wounds.'

He smiled and took a step into the room, only to jump when he heard an almost inaudible click. He jumped back in time to dodge a score of spears that flew out of the wall past him. He frowned and shook his head.

"I had to question it..."

He quickly thought up a plan before stepping to the side.

"JB-12 go retrieve the wu." He said looking back at the nearest bot. The Jack-bot beeped out a 'yes sir' and flew into the room. It only reached about half-way when Jack saw a glint of a wire and watched with a yelp as his bot was crushed against the wall by a giant stone block. He knew that if Chase was the one to set the place up then there would be traps set for all kinds of intruders. He sent out five more of his Jack-bots before one of them made it all the way. Jack beamed as the bot picked up the horn and turned back, flying back towards its master.

Jack's smile disappeared when he heard a rustle from the black ceiling and a long spiked tail shot out and wrapped around the bot, crushing it in its grip. Jack yelped and took a step back as a giant serpent lowered itself to the ground. It was a gleaming black with a red diamond shape on its nose and glowing yellow eyes that reminded Jack of Chase. Jack shivered and steeled himself as best he could.

"Jack-bots! Attack!" He shouted, pointing at the massive, spiked snake. The remaining six bots all rushed forward to attack the monster. Jack payed no attention to the fact that it was crushing them with ease and instead turned to face the horn. Using the Monkey Staff he dove towards the horn. He was only half-way there when the last of his bots was crushed and he was cut off by the snake. He yelped and used the Serpent's Tail to phase through the snake as it tried to crush him in its jaws. He dodged to the side and glanced at the Unicorn Horn, he would have to turn tangible to grab it and that would leave him open to attack. He quickly pondered his options as the serpent watched him, waiting for a chance to strike. Jack mentally punched himself for not thinking of the easiest solution before. He grabbed the Serpent's Tail with his own monkey tail and pulled out the Glove of Jisaku and aimed it at the horn.

"Glove of Jisaku!" He called, watching the glove activate and the yellow energy shoot out and encase the horn. He smiled and turned tangible just in time to grab the horn in his free hand. He cried out when the snake, that hadn't moved from its coiled position, suddenly shot out and grabbed Jack around his middle, its four-inch long fangs piercing his stomach. He gasped and cried out in pain, unable to speak and activate the Serpent's Tail from the lack of air, he did the only thing he could think of. He tightened his grip on the horn and slammed the pointed end down into the serpent's glowing eye. The beast hissed in pain and released its hold on Jack's middle, dropping the teen a good six feet to the ground.

He gasped in agony and got back on his feet as fast as he could with the help of the Monkey Staff and rushed for the exit. He flinched when he heard the snake hiss and come after him. He activated his heli-bot, because it was faster than the Serpent's Tail, and took off up the incline of the tunnel. His mind was such a flurry of pain and panic that he didn't even think when he shot out of the cave and flew high up into the sky. He didn't stop until he heard the snake let out an angry roar. He looked down at the tunnel, panting and gasping for air, and saw the snake glaring up at him. It hissed and flicked out its tongue, catching the strange smell and taste of the golden flowers it hissed and retreated back into the cave.  
>Jack stared after it for a good six minutes before flying away to a clearing in the nearby forest. He dropped to his knees and dropped all of the wu he had been carrying. He took deep breaths and grimaced when he felt a sharp pain in his side. He looked down and saw several large, bloody holes where the snake's massive teeth had punctured his midriff. He bit his lip and removed his coat and backpack as carefully as he could. He frowned and sat back, grabbing the Unicorn Horn from where he had dropped it. He glanced at it and saw it was covered it a bright blue liquid, obviously the snake's blood. He sat forward again and gripped his sides when they rippled in pain. Not wasting any more time he held up the horn and gasped out its name.<p>

"Unicorn Horn..."

He relaxed and closed his eyes when a warm, dull feeling took over his body. When it was over he opened his eyes and was pleased when he felt no pain. He glanced down and saw that even the blood was gone. Even the blood on his hands was now nonexistent. He stood and put his jacket and bag back on, frowning at the rips in the sides of his coat. He pressed a button on his bag and a pair of mechanical arms stretched out and started sewing up the holes with perfect precision. When they were done he stretched and gathered up his scattered wu.

Putting all but the Monkey Staff and Unicorn Horn in his bag, he wiped off the horn before he put it in his jacket pocket and activated his heli-bot. He took off towards Chase's home despite that fact that it was nearly midnight. He had just landed at the entrance to Chase's home when he noticed he com-link blinking silently. He held it up and, seeing he had eight missed calls, pressed a button on its side.

"Yeah-?"

"For Heylin's sake Jack! Answer faster next time!"

"Jeez Wuya, calm down."

"I was starting to think you were dead!"

"Aw, were you worried about me?"

"I-!...I never said that...So? Did you get what you were after?"

"Yeah, it was the Unicorn Horn."

"Boring, any traps or monsters?"

"Both, the traps took out half my bots while this giant snake-thing took out the rest. Nearly bit me in half too."

"It bit you? Are you sure it wasn't poisonous?"

"Why Wuya, is that genuine concern I hear in your voice?"

"Shut it Jack."

"Relax, my com-link is programmed to check my blood for any and all forms of poison and/or toxin." Jack said walking up to the massive stone entrance. He pressed his hand against the mechanism that opened the door and stepped back before directing attention back at Wuya.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a warlord to appease."

With that he hung up and stepped into the grand entrance. He walked up the steps and smiled when he saw Chase's dark form standing at the top.

"I suggest you show me the Shen gong wu before you come any closer, Spicer." Chase said, his voice full of his obvious doubt that Spicer had actually retrieved the wu. Jack stopped and smiled, reaching into his coat and pulling out the glittering gold and white horn. A look of subtle surprise appeared on the warlord's face before he descended the stairs. He reached Jack and took the horn from his small, pale grasp, inspecting it with a glittering eye.

"It appears you truly do have potential, Spicer."

Chase handed the horn back to Jack, earning a confused look, before turning away and walking back up the stairs.

"You have earned your place as my ally, Spicer. In return you may keep the horn and will have my aid in any battles I take part in."

Chase sighed before turning back.

"I will admit I did not expect you to come back as quickly as you did, nor did I expect you to be successful."

Jack smiled and held the horn proudly, Chase looked him over and a small smile tugged at his lips.

"I will see you at the next showdown, for now I need my rest. Good night, Spicer."

With that Chase disappeared into the throne room and shut the door behind him. Jack let out a quiet squeak of joy and took off for his own home.

While Jack was gone Wuya had found a few of the boy's Evil Monthly magazines and was currently sitting in the lab reading about how Jack was crowned 'King of Evil Technology.' The Heylin witch jumped when Jack practically danced into the lab, humming and bouncing happily.

"I see things went well." Wuya said putting the magazine down and standing to face the giddy teen. Jack grabbed her hands and danced around the room with her.

"Better! Chase and I are allies and he promised to help my in any battles he attends! He even let me keep the horn!"

Jack let go of the tall witch and spun around a few times before facing her with a lively spark in his eyes.

"This is awesome! I'm so happy!"

He tossed his goggles, bag, and jacket onto his workbench and grabbed the Shen gong wu with excited hands. He put the wu into his safe and locked it before running over to his computer and opening his internet browser. He logged onto his Evilbook and posted about his new alliance, and his new wu. It didn't even take five minutes before he had nearly a dozen replies on his post. Some were impressed or full of praise, while others were doubtful and called him a liar.

Wuya watched Jack and rolled her eyes when he glared at the screen and went to post a few rude and brag-filled comments. They both blinked when they saw a post from Chase himself declaring that Jack was indeed his ally and that he would not tolerate anymore bad mouthing of Spicer. Jack stared at his screen and quickly erased his comments instead of posting them. Wuya leaned forward over Jack and shook her head.

"I can't believe he's sticking up for you...He didn't even do that for me..."

"That's because he didn't trust you." Jack said closing the page and standing up. "He knows that I would never do anything against him now that I have his help and trust."

Wuya rolled her eyes but nodded in agreement. Jack yawned and wiped his forehead, walking casually to the couch that sat in the far corner of his lab.

"Blick, it's too warm in here."

He laid down and put his feet up, leaning his head back on the black leather arm with a sigh.

"Remind me to build more Jack-bots tomorrow..." Jack said as he quickly fell asleep. Wuya stared at her host and sighed, crossing her arms and walking to the door she looked back at the boy and shook her head.

When Chase had kicked Wuya out, and she had been unable to find Hannibal, she had asked Jack if she could stay with him. She hadn't been expecting him to agree and he had even let her use his room to sleep in while he would sleep on the couch. He fed her and let her use his wu on occasion, he even went as far as to let her use his credit card when she wanted to buy something. She still didn't have her powers so she was of no real threat and she had grown use to Jack's behavior towards her and in turn had treated him more like an annoying little brother than a pest or servant. She changed into a black silk nightgown and slipped into the black and red sheets that covered Jack's bed. She frowned and shook her head. Things were going to be strange with Chase as Jack's ally.

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><p>Wuya woke up late in the morning with a yawn and a stretch. She blinked and frowned, a confused look covered her face. She heard nothing, no loud music or banging, no whirring or beeping of machines. Nothing. She threw off the covers and changed into her normal robe before walking quickly downstairs. She flicked on the light and heard an annoyed moan.<p>

"Damn it Wuya..." Jack said rolling over to bury his face into the leather couch he was still laying on. She strode over and looked down at him.

"Jack, it's nearly noon..."

"What!"

He jumped up and tripped, landing on his face with a thud.

"How could I have slept for so long?"

He pushed himself up and had to stop when his head swam, his vision blurring. He blinked to clear his vision and stood slowly, Wuya watching his every move.

"Great..." Jack mumbled angrily, rubbing his head. "I think I got sick from being out in the cold air last night."

He walked past the staring redhead and to the workbench where he grabbed a clean shirt from a drawer and quickly changed, tossing his sweat soaked shirt in a basket next to the door. He then popped a few ibuprofen to help his growing headache and grabbed his goggles. He activated the few Jack-bots he kept as spares and had them help him set about making more Jack-bots.  
>Wuya watched Jack move around the lab with his usual speed, but his enthusiasm was somehow missing. She moved to the rolling chair that sat in front of Jack's computer and watched the boy work on his bots. After nearly four hours Wuya had had enough and stood, walking over to where Jack was hunched over a bot, the chest cavity wide open. Because his goggles were down over his eyes Jack didn't see Wuya stalking towards him until it was too late. She grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him away from the machines and towards the stairs.<p>

"Wuya! What are you-?"

"You need to eat you idiot. If you're sick than you need to eat something."

Jack grumbled to himself as she pulled him up the stairs and forced him to sit at the kitchen table. She grabbed a bowl of fruit from the fridge and set it in front of the disgruntled teen before turning back to the fridge. Jack sighed and grabbed an apple and a few kiwis and munched on them quickly and quietly, hoping to get back to his work. Wuya pulled out a few articles and set them on the counter, she then pulled out a bowl and pan.

"Um...what are you doing?" Jack asked before taking another bite of kiwi. Wuya started mixing a few things such as flour, milk, butter, and blueberries into the bowl.

"I'm making pancakes. What else?"

Jack's jaw nearly fell off.

"Wait, wait, wait, you can cook?"

Wuya shot him a quick glare before turning back to the pan.

"Yes Jack, I can cook."

She rolled her eyes and picked up the bowl, only to gasp and drop it, her eyes glowing an erie toxic green.

"The Ninja Sash has revealed itself!"

She smiled and glanced at an equally grinning Jack. She stepped over the shattered bowl and ran towards the lab, Jack right on her tail. They ran down and Wuya grabbed Jack's jacket and bag, tossing them to him. He caught them and swung them on before moving to his safe and opening it. He grabbed the Serpent's Tail, Third Arm Sash, and, of course, the Monkey Staff. He tossed the Serpent's Tail to Wuya and activated his heli-bot. He called for six of his Jack-bots to follow them, while he ordered the rest to keep making more bots. Wuya activated the tail and flew out through the ceiling, Jack using an open hatch to follow after her. The Jack-bots followed the strange pair with analyzing eyes. They got there just in time to see Chase and the young monks facing each other, the golden sash sitting on a rock between them. Chase looked up and, seeing Jack, smiled, his raven hair blowing in the light breeze. The two redheads landed beside Chase with wide smiles.

"Jack Spicer and Wuya." Omi said with a glare, his bald head glinting in the sunlight. Raimundo crossed his arms and locked eyes with Jack.

"Here to get your butt kicked and be humiliated again, Spicer?"

Kimiko brushed back her currently pink hair and put her hands on her hips.

"Just because you're near Chase doesn't mean we won't kick your butt."

"On the contrary young monks," Chase said with an evil glint in his eyes. "Jack and I are allies. In turn I will not allow you to 'kick his butt' as you put it."

The monks all blinked in surprise. Clay fixed his hat and straightened himself.

"How in tarnation did Jack and Chase become allies?"

"No clue," said Dojo from the tall cowboy's shoulder. "But I think something's wrong with Jack...He seems...off..."

Jack twitched at the dragon's comment.

"I got sick last night okay! Lay off!"

He quickly ran forward to grab the Shen gong wu. Omi and Raimundo saw this and jumped forward as well. All three of them, plus one, touched the wu at the same time. Jack glared at the two monks and heard Chase's voice from beside him.

"We challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown. Last one standing wins."

Rai glared at the warlord.

"Fine, what do you wager? As I see it you don't have any wu with you-"

"The Third Arm Sash and Monkey Staff against your Jet Bootsu and Silk Spinner." Jack growled, handing the Third Arm Sash to Chase. Chase blinked at Jack's sudden hostility and watched the young monks nod. In a flash the four were standing on a large tilting platform that resembled something of a small soccer field, a black chasm opened up beneath the platform, leaving the area around the platform in darkness. On one side was a stable platform where Clay, Dojo, Kimiko, and Wuya, along with the Jack-bots, all stood.

"Gong Yi Tanpai!" They all shouted in unison. Jack didn't give Omi a chance to react before he slammed his steel-toed shoes into the monk's gut, sending him careening towards the edge. He then flipped back and growled at Raimundo, his now monkey-like fangs bared. Chase watched in silent amusement as Jack charged a startled Rai and dove at him. Rai barely sidestepped monkey-Jack and stumbled back. Chase watched Omi regain his balance and pull out the Silk Spinner. He jumped between Jack and Raimundo and aimed the wu at Jack.

"Silk Spinner!" He yelled, firing a shot of the silk web at Jack as he turned.

"Third Arm Sash!" Chase yelled, grabbing Jack and pulling him out of the way. Jack muttered a quick thanks and ran after Rai, leaving Omi for Chase to deal with. Omi and Chase squared off, using their techniques to try and force the other over the edge of the tilting platform. Jack and Rai on the other hand were fighting hand-to-hand, Jack had his monkey strength and speed, while Rai had his training and practice. So far the Heylin team was winning. Rai coughed and stumbled when he took another hit to the chest, he glared at Jack and rushed forward. Jack moved to the side, dodging Rai's attack, but yelped when Rai grinned and kicked the Monkey Staff from his grip. Reverting to his normal, unimproved self, Jack was forced to jump back and move away from Rai.

"Got you now, monkey breath. You really are losing your touch." Rai said with a smirk, moving in between Jack and his staff. Jack wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and glared at Rai.

"Yeah, well...If it weren't so damn hot maybe I'd be doing better."

Rai just blinked at Jack like he had grown a second head.

"Dude, it's like sixty degrees out here."

"Yeah, you really must be sick." Kimiko said crossing her arms, looking the sweating genius up and down.

"Or just plum crazy." Clay said with a tilt of his hat. Jack glared at them and then back at Rai before pulling off his backpack and jacket and tossing them to Wuya. His red frankenstein shirt mixed with his milky white skin and crimson hair stood out against the grey scenery. Wuya caught his jacket and bag and handed them to one of the Jack-bots. Chase only gave Jack's lean figure a quick glance before catching Omi's leg mid-kick and tossing him into Raimundo. Rai yelped and barely caught his small friend before Jack attacked him again. None of them had ever see Jack fight in hand-to-hand so well or for so long. The battle went on for a good ten minutes before Chase had had enough.

Chase grabbed Jack's waist with the Third Arm Sash and pulled him away from the two monks and stepped in front of him. Jack panted quietly and wiped his forehead with a gloved hand as Chase moved between him and the monks. Chase slammed his fist into the ground and the entire platform shook and cracked. Rai gasped as the ground below him started to crumble away into the black abyss below them. He grabbed the back of Omi's shirt and jumped into the air.

"Jet Bootsu!" He called, the boot Shen gong wu allowing him to hover in the air.

"Ha! On your head!" Omi yelled, his butchered slang ever persistent.

"That's 'IN' your 'FACE', butterball." Jack said with a roll of his eyes. Jack grabbed his Monkey Staff from the ground behind him and took a step forward, only to have a siren on his com-link go off. Jack jumped and looked down at his wrist, a robotic voice speaking loudly, drawing everyone's attention.

"Foreign toxin detected in bloodstream. Please seek medical analysis and treatment."

Everyone blinked and Jack seemed to grow even paler, his skin turning a strange grey. His grip on his staff tightened when Wuya growled and yelled at him.

"Damn it Jack! I told you that thing was poisonous!"

Jack glared at her and shut off the com, ignoring the stares of those around him.

"It's fine Wuya." He said bitterly, glaring at the two monks floating in front of him. "I'll deal with it when we get home."

Omi and Rai landed on the remaining part of the platform with concerned and confused looks.

"Jack, wha-ah?"

Omi was cut off by Jack sweeping his staff forward to trip the pair. Omi was able to jump over the sudden attack, while Rai was caught unprepared and he fell back over the edge. Omi recovered by landing a swift kick to Jack's chest and pulling out the Silk Spinner, blasting Jack and sticking him to the ground. While Jack struggled to free himself Omi went after Chase. Jack used his tail to rip off the silk web and stood up, he yelped when he was kicked in the chest again and was sent skidding across the floor.

"That's for tripping me you jerk!"

Jack looked up and scowled when he saw Rai floating over the edge. By this point Chase was getting very bored and was very done with the current showdown. Chase grabbed Omi and threw him over the edge, earning a startled cry and watching the small monk vanish into the dark. Rai scowled and watched as Omi reappeared at Clay's feet looking very disappointed. Jack wasted no time in attacking Rai, his movements were more hostile and jerky than before. Rai dodged a few more times before he noticed Jack's breathing had nearly stopped, despite his rapid attacks.

"Jack! Stop!" Rai yelled, making Jack twitch and hesitate for a second before attacking again, blood dripping from his nose.

When Chase saw this he appeared between the two and caught Jack by the wrist.

"Enough." He said, watching Jack stare at him in confusion as he tried to breathe.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" Rai said, landing a few feet away and staring at Jack. None of them were expecting Jack to snarl at them and yank his wrist out of Chase's grip.

"Nothing."

He let out a low growl that was very similar to Chase's dragon growl and turned away. He literally jumped the thirty feet to the platform the others were standing on and snatched his coat and backpack back from his bot. After he had re-donned the outfit he tossed the Monkey Staff to Chase.

"I'm going home. See you later Xiaolin Losers." He grumbled, turning away and flying off, ignoring Wuya as she called after him. Chase glared after the young albino and turned to face Raimundo.

"I think this had gone on long enough." He said, lifting a hand and blasting the teen off the platform before he could react. The area returned to normal and Kimiko helped Rai to his feet before turning to face Chase. She blinked in surprise when she only saw Wuya and a single Jack-Bot standing there, Chase was no where to be seen. Wuya cursed and kicked the dirt before pulling out the Serpent's Tail.

"Wuya, wait!" Rai said, running over to her and blocking her path. "What was wrong with Jack? You said something about poison."

She scoffed at him and crossed her arms.

"He was bit by some stupid snake thing. He went to get some useless wu for Chase to gain his trust and got bitten in the process."

She nearly spit because of how mad she was and instead growled and used her wu to fly away. The monks were left to stare up at her and wonder what had just happened.

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><p>I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, please let me know what you guys think of it so I know if it's worth continuing.<p>

~Axel, TheShiaxArtist


	2. Medicine and Tests

FINALLY! I am so sorry for the wait you guys! I've just been really unmotivated and busy lately and I'll try and get these up with more speed next time! Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter and I promise it gets better from here.

_Freaku & Shadowfire21- You'll just have to wait and see. ^^_

_Ckrow-You think that's grumpy? Just wait, he gets worse...or better, depends what you like._

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><p>When Jack got home he dropped everything and stumbled to the bathroom, throwing up into the toilet for several minutes before he was able to sit back and prop himself up against the wall. He pinched his eyes shut as pain coursed through his stomach and chest. He gagged and leaned back over the toilet. He struggled to tug off his backpack and jacket before he threw up again. When he was done tossing up the little bit of food in his stomach he flushed and hauled himself to his feet using the counter as a support. He moved slowly as to not upset his stomach further. He stalked into his lab and eased down in his computer chair, one of his Jack-bots flying over to assist him. Jack sat still for a moment, his head tilted back and his breathing steady. The Jack-bot took a blood sample and proceeded to analyze it and upload the data for Jack to see on his many screens.<p>

To Jack the process felt like hours when really only a few minutes had ticked by before the information became visible. Jack sat forward and quickly scanned over the information and frowned at what he saw. He swallowed hard and reran the tests, checking and rechecking the data to see if what he was seeing was true. He had expected to see that he was sick, that he had simply caught a cold. What he saw worried him more than that. No matter what tests he ran or how he studied his blood, skin tissue, or brain matter, he could find nothing wrong. He was completely healthy. He even felt better than he had before, his headache and stomachache were slowly fading and his breathing was back to normal. Jack turned in his chair when he heard Wuya step up behind him, her arms crossed and her glare furious.

"Care to explain what the hell all that was about?"

"I can't."

"What? What do you mean-?"

"I can't. I'm not sick. I'm not poisoned. There is nothing wrong with me."

Jack stood up and walked over to his worktable, gripping the edge of it with both hands before he spoke again.

"I could barley breath during the fight, I had a bloody nose, I threw up when I got here, and I felt horrid...now...I don't know...I feel better, but..."

He turned his head to look back at Wuya with a frown. She stepped closer to him and met his gaze.

"Maybe...you threw up whatever was in your system?"

"Impossible."

The two spun to see Chase standing in the doorway, looking somewhat miffed.

"There would at least be residual effects or evidence of something being in his system."

"Ch-Chase..." Jack whimpered, shrinking away as the warlord strode towards him. "I-I'm sorry! I-?"

Jack was silenced when Chase's hand shot out and gripped Jack's face. Jack whimpered quietly but was otherwise silent as Chase turned his face to each side and inspected him. Chase eventually released Jack's face and turned away from him.

"You said he was bitten by a snake?" Chase questioned, his voice calm as he addressed Wuya. She crossed her arms and nodded.

"What snake would this be, Spicer?"

Chase glanced over his shoulder at Jack, prompting him to speak.

"I-I...the monstrous one you left in the cave w-were you hid the Unicorn Horn."

"I left no such monster within the cave. I merely set a few traps. The horn was not important enough to leave a guard."

"Then what was it doing there?" Jack asked, rubbing his arm and falling silent when Chase turned to face him.

"I do not know, can you tell me what it looked like?"

"S-Sure, it was massive, just slightly bigger than the size of Dojo when he grows to his full size. It was also this shiny black with this red diamond on its nose."

"Did it have blue eyes?"

"No, its eyes were yellow and it had spikes down its back."

"Good, you said it merely bit you correct?"

"Yeah, I used the Unicorn Horn to heal the wound."

"Very well, the type of snake you speak of is not poisonous, but it is an ancient breed so I would still take care to check your vital signs every so often to make sure it did not give you any sort of disease."

Chase turned away again and took a few steps away before stopping and turning halfway back.

"Oh, and you left these behind."

Jack barely caught the Monkey Staff, Ninja Sash, and Jet Bootsu when Chase tossed them to him.

"I expect you to rest, Spicer, and to not see you at the next showdown."

"O-Okay..." Jack mumbled, ashamed of his previous actions. Chase nodded farewell and was gone in a flash of black magic.

"I agree with Chase, you should take it easy for the next few days just in case."

"Yeah..."

Jack put the wu away before walking back over to his worktable. He turned his back against the table and leaned against it, his eyes downcast as he pondered his situation. Wuya let him be for a few moments before taking his arm and leading him towards the stairs.

"In any case, you need your sleep and your bots can make more of themselves while you do."

Jack said nothing as she led him up the stairs to his room. She made him change before making him lie down and shutting off the lights. After she left Jack didn't fall sleep for quite a while, he stared up at the black ceiling, his mind a whirlwind of ideas and worries. Wuya had let Jack take his own bed this time, so she ended up on the couch where he usually slept. All throughout the night the Jack-bots worked as quietly as they could while Wuya slept.

* * *

><p>Jack awoke at nearly two in the morning, his stomach growling at him to eat something before it started to devour itself.<p>

"I'm up, I'm up." He growled back at his angry abdomen. He had been in the middle of a very enjoyable dream and was rather peeved that he had been pulled from it.. He dragged his blankets off of his body, pushed himself up, and swung his legs over the edge of his bed. His head swam for a moment but he simply huffed in annoyance and forced himself to his feet, stumbling to his bathroom and changing into his sweats and Frankenstein shirt before heading down the stairs to the kitchen. He stepped into the kitchen and pleasantly found it empty, the mess from the pancake batter long cleaned up by one of his bots. He moved to the fridge and grabbed a pudding cup and a banana before settling down on a stool at the island that sat between the kitchen and dining room. He practically drank his pudding cup before tossing it with practiced aim at the trash can. He laid his head against the counter for a moment, sighing once before he spotted the banana he had grabbed.

A sly grin stretched across his face as he peeled the banana, careful not to break it as he pulled the peel down to the base. He was going to blame his naughty mind for him doing this, since it was an annual thing whenever there were bananas in the house. He gently gripped the base with one hand and pressed his lips to the tip, giving it a small kiss before sliding it into his mouth. He moved it slowly into his mouth until he felt it touch the back of his tongue. He moved around it, closing his eyes partway as he remembered his dream. He face flushed red and he ran his tongue along the shaft of the suggestive fruit. He sucked on it for another minute before he pushed it against the roof of his mouth and bent it in half, breaking it so he could actually eat it.

"Hasn't anyone taught you not to play with your food?" Someone said from behind, making Jack jump and choke on his banana. Jack quickly swallowed and spun around to face the intruder, turning a very deep red when Chase's amused face met his eyes. Chase sat still for a moment, awaiting a response from the embarrassed teen, when he didn't get it he smirked and moved closer.

"Relax Spicer," Chase said as he took the rest of the banana from Jack's stunned hands. "Even I enjoy playing with my food now and again."

This did nothing to help Jack's blush, neither did the fact that Chase had placed the rest of the fruit in his mouth and swallowed it whole. Chase dropped the peel into the trash before turning back to Jack and crossing his hands behind his back.

"Now then, I'm sure you're wondering why I am here."

"A little..." Jack gasped back, focused more on trying to get his legs to move again instead of Chase's purpose for being in his home at three in the morning. Chase walked closer to Jack and leaned over slightly so he was eye level with him. Jack's breath hitched and his eyes went wide as Chase placed his hands on the counter on each side of Jack's hips, pressing closer so their chests touched.

"Ch-Chase?" Jack muttered as Chase closed in on him, his breath was warm against Jack's lips. Jack leaned back and closed his eyes as Chase's lips brushed against his own.

"Jack, wake up."

Jack bolted upright in his seat and blinked when he realized he was sitting in his stool. He glanced around and saw that he had fallen asleep when he had laid his head down and hadn't even touched the banana. Wuya was leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee in her hands. She jumped slightly when Jack frowned furiously and banged his head against the island.

"Jack, what are you doing?"

"Trying to knock myself out." He grumbled back, earning a small chuckle from the witch.

"Chase again?"

"Chase again." He sighed, resting his chin on the counter and glaring at the banana before grabbing it and chucking it across the kitchen. "Stupid dream inducing fruit."

Wuya had to do her best not to burst out laughing at her sexually frustrated host. She shook her head and handed him a cup of heavily sugared coffee, taking a seat and smiling at him.

"Relax Jack, Chase is just a little slow when it comes to noticing people's feelings towards him, even with fanboy-ish outbursts like yours."

Jack glared at her but huffed and took a sip of his coffee, relaxing as the warmth traveled through his body.

"In all truth, I'd just spit it out and get it over with, but, I'm not even sure if Chase is gay."

"Jack," Wuya said, a completely incredulous look gracing her features. "If you're not sure if Chase is gay then your definition of gay is completely backwards."

Jack chuckled and sat back, raising an eye brow and grinning at her.

"Oh? How so?"

"Well for one he has flowing, raven hair."

"Haha! That doesn't mean he's gay!"

"Are you kidding me? What kind of evil villain has hair that pretty that isn't gay?"

"Point proven." Jack said, laughing hard as he tried not to choke on his coffee.

"And have you seen his house? Scary on the outside, yes, but the inside could only be designed by a gay man."

Jack was loosing it now, laughing so hard that Wuya couldn't stop herself from continuing.

"Now the cats! Not only does he have a dozen 'lonely guy' cats, but he has 'tigers'! How do you deny that you're gay when you have tigers in your home?"

Jack couldn't take any more and fell right off his stool to lay on the ground laughing his head off.

"Don't even get me started on the armor."

"Okay! Okay!" Jack gasped between his giggle fits. "I get it!"

Wuya chuckled and leaned over the counter to look down at Jack, sprawled on the floor while he laughed.

"All right Jack, get back up here and drink your coffee before it gets cold."

Jack calmed down and pulled himself back to his feet, retaking his seat and chugging down the rest of his drink.

"I take it you're feeling better than yesterday?"

Jack nodded and crossed his arms on the counter.

"A little," He said with a small yawn. "I don't feel a hundred percent, but I do feel much better."

"That's good, you should probably stay home today just to be safe."

"Yeah...I'll probably just work in the lab-"

"No, you'll lay down and stay covered up until you feel up to par."

"Oh come on," Jack whined, stretching his arms out across the counter-top and laying his chin down. "If I'm gonna be stuck in the house at least let me work on my bots. Yes-Bot needs a desperate upgrade."

"No is no, Jack." Wuya said, standing up and placing her and Jack's empty cups in the sink. "I'll be in the basement, so don't even try to sneak down there."

Jack pouted but huffed out a 'fine' before getting up and moving to the living room. He grabbed a blanket and tossed it around his shoulders, flopping down on the couch and flipping on the television. The first thing to pop up was Dora the Incredibly Obnoxious Bitch, or that's what Wuya called her. Jack pretended to gag and started to flip through the channels, eventually settling on the history channel, simply because it was on a Wars of the World marathon.

* * *

><p>Several hours later Wuya came upstairs to check on Jack and found him out cold with Yes-Bot's head in his lap and a screwdriver and portable welder in his hands. She grit her teeth and balled her fists, furious that Jack had gone against her word and had ended up working on his bot anyway. She flexed her hand, brandishing her nails as she reached down to smack the boy on the head. She froze when she realized he was breathing heavily and sweating profusely.<p>

Wuya instead placed her hand on his forehead and pulled back when she found he was burning. She took the items from his hands and tucked Yes-Bot's head under her arm, surprised when Jack didn't stir. She set the stuff down on the kitchen counter and moved to the bathroom to grab a few different medicines. She grabbed a glass of water and walked back over to Jack to stand in front of the couch.

"Jack, wake up and take these." She said, holding the medications and glass in front of him. He grumbled something and cracked an eye open.

"What do you want Wuya?"

"Take these, you have a fever." Wuya said, forcing the items into his hands. He grumbled groggily and tossed all of the pills into his mouth and chugged down the half-glass of water before handing it back and flopping back onto the couch. Wuya rolled her eyes and returned the glass to the kitchen before heading back down to the basement. Jack cracked an eye open and watched her go before sighing and gripping the couch with both hands. He grumbled to himself and rolled onto his back, glaring at the ceiling and thinking about the way the monks had looked at him when he had growled at them.

Normally that sort of thing would have made him happy, even brag about the fear he had brought them, but...something was wrong. He pinched his eyes shut in pain at his growing headache and gripped his blanket. He couldn't do it. Even with an order from Chase, Jack couldn't just chill out and rest when something was wrong. Chase said that the monster-snake that had bit him wasn't poisonous, but what if he was wrong? It was unlikely, but still possible. Jack pulled back the blanket and stood, wobbling ever so slightly as he made his way to the stairs. When he reached the bottom he was immediately cut off by Wuya, who looked rather pissed.

"What do you think you're doing up?"

"Lay off Wuya, I'm just gonna run some tests."

Jack tried to move past her and was cut off again by the tall woman.

"Jack, I just gave you a fuck-ton of medication, you're not working on anything while you're drugged up and sick."

"Just move." Jack grumbled, pushing her out of the way with surprising ease and walking over to his worktable. He shooed his bots away and pressed a combination of buttons that opened a hidden door to his right. Wuya blinked and watched Jack walk into the brightly lit room and strip off his shirt. She stepped closer and peered into the white-walled room. Against the opposite wall was a group of commuters and different machines that Jack was in the process of turning on. In the center was a large treadmill-like machine.

"What is this room? I'm never seen it before. I didn't even know it existed."

"It's an advanced physical stimulation and analyzation room. I have quite a few hidden rooms you don't know about." Jack said, grinning to himself when Wuya stuck her head back out into the lab to try and spot places where hidden doors might be.

"Hm...and why are you in here exactly?" Wuya asked, watching Jack place two wireless ECG pads under his collarbones and one on his left side. He then replaced his usual com-link wristband with a black arm-warmer with several different readings on it. Including his heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, condition of his blood cells, and brainwaves.

"...When I acted out yesterday there was something truly wrong with me...maybe if I stimulate my body again it will manifest itself a second time."

"I'm not sure if that sounds brilliant or completely idiotic."

Jack gave her a quick glare before stepping onto the treadmill and pressing the start button. There was a small beep and it started to turn, starting slowly so Jack could build up his pace. Wuya watched its speed increase from a slow crawl to a quick jog to a dire sprint. She watched Jack run for several minutes, his breathing becoming labored and his heartbeat shooting up the ladder. Jack frowned when he felt a strange drowsiness start to seep into his body.

'Damn it Wuya, I shouldn't have taken those pills. Now I know why they put those stupid 'don't operate heavy machinery' labels on those things...'

While she was amazed by Jack's endurance, Wuya knew he was getting tired fast and needed to stop.

"Jack," She said firmly. "you can't keep that pace forever, it's gonna throw you off if you don't slow it down."

She frowned when Jack just glared at the wall in front of him and focused on running.

"Jack, you need to slow down or you'll pass out-"

"I know what I'm doing Wuya!" Jack gasped out, panting as he felt his energy start to wane. Wuya glared at him and stepped closer, trying to look into his eyes.

"Jack, you're in no condition to be doing this-"

"Would you just shut up!" Jack snarled, his pace suddenly increased, his energy seemed back in full force, all of his drowsiness was gone. Wuya watched with wide eyes as Jack's speed escalated from 15 mph to nearly 30 mph. His heartbeat went from 160 bmp to 250 and his breathing seemed to halt completely. His nose and ears starting to bleed was the last straw.

"Jack!" Wuya yelled, springing forward and slamming her hand down on the stop button. The treadmill came to a dead stop, Jack didn't. He bolted forward and slammed into the control panel, grunting in pain. He glared up at her and let out a low rumbling growl, digging his nails into the metal panel and crushing it slightly. She swallowed hard and took a step back, she had only ever seen that sort of feral hate in Chase's eyes when he was really mad. Jack was angry, really angry. He could feel it, the same thing he had felt when he was fighting Raimundo, that urge to attack and rip his enemy to pieces.

He pulled himself away from the panel and took a step towards Wuya, fully intent on attacking her. He bared his teeth and suddenly was aware of what he was doing. His eyes widened in realization and he spun away from her, moving with frightening speed to the machines that had been monitoring his body. He quickly shifted through everything he could, his breathing and heartbeat still rapid and painful in his chest. Wuya watched him sift through all of the information before stopping and turning back to her with wide eyes. He no longer had that feral look about him, but it was replaced with fear.

"W-What's wrong Jack?" Wuya asked cautiously, trying not to show the worry in her voice. Jack gripped the table with one hand and ran his other hand through his sweat drenched hair.

"I-I...I-It's..."

Jack frowned and bit his lip.

"My entire body just became cold-blooded a-and turned reptilian..."

Wuya just stared at him, her mouth agape and her body tense.

"What...What does that mean? How-?"

She was cut off when Jack doubled over with a hand to his mouth and gagged. He quickly rushed past her to the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. Wuya quickly followed him and hung in the doorway. Jack coughed and gagged for several minutes before sitting back and gripping his stomach. Wuya knelt beside him and placed a hand on his arm.

"Jack? Are you-?"

"No, help me up." Jack interrupted, putting out his hand and giving her a pleading look. She frowned but took his hand and helped him to his feet, following him as he slowly made his way back into the lab. He went to his main computer and sat down, opening an Evilbook chat window and contacting Chase. He typed quickly before sitting back and hitting send. Wuya read it over his shoulder as they awaited a response.

'Chase, I'm sorry for what happened yesterday but I think I found the reason. I know you and Wuya said to rest but I had to at least try to figure it out. I used a treadmill I have to stimulate my body and found several...disturbing factors. The higher my heartbeat got the angrier I became. For my heart my typical bpm is around 160 when I run. I was running about 15 mph. When Wuya triggered my anger my bpm skyrocketed to 250 and my speed was to 30 mph. After Wuya stopped me I felt a burning rage, I only barely stopped myself from mauling Wuya. After checking the data I found that my body had literally became reptilian by blood and adapted a cold-blooded body. I've rechecked it and I seem to be back to normal, I don't know what's causing it, but I'm certain that snake monster has something to do with it...I also rechecked my body and I do have a mild cold as well. I'm sorry for bothering you with this but I have a feeling you'd rather find out now instead of when I freak out again.'

Wuya sighed and turned to face the darkest part of the room, knowing that kind of message was sure to bring the warlord right over. Jack on the other hand just leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes, his breathing still ragged and painful. Wuya gave him a quick glance and frowned at his sweat drenched, shivering frame. When she looked back to the corner she jumped ten feet out of her skin, Chase was standing there with a furious glare set on his face. Wuya swallowed and recollected herself as Chase strode forward.

"Jack, your boyfriend is here." She said, bumping his arm with a gentle tap of the back of her hand. Jack opened his eyes and lifted his head slightly so he could turn it to face Chase. He swallowed hard at the angry glare and sank further into his seat. Chase stopped only a foot away and jabbed an angry finger at Jack.

"What were you thinking? I told you to rest, not make yourself worse!"

Jack flinched away and held up his hands.

"I-I know...But I had to know what had caused it..."

Chase's glare made Jack fall quiet, to weak to even try to defend himself. Chase stood to his full height and let out a heated breath through his teeth.

"Damn your inquisitive nature Jack, it's going to get you killed if you're not careful."

Chase calmed his expression and leaned over Jack, grabbing his wrist and extending his arm to the fullest so he could inspect the readings on Jack's arm-warmer.

"You seem to be back to normal, did you record the information from your change?"

Jack nodded and tried to stand, halted when Chase put a hand on his shoulder with a glare.

"Stay, you may simply point me in the right direction."

Jack frowned ever so slightly but pointed to the white walled room. Chase turned towards it but stopped for a moment to pull a black, cloth handkerchief out of his armor and hand it to Jack.

"You nose is bleeding." Chase said as he walked to the other room after Jack took the cloth. Jack quietly sat with the cloth to his nose as he and Wuya waited for Chase to return. Jack eventually leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes again. He could feel the strange drug induced drowsiness coming back in full force. He jumped when he felt a ball of cloth hit his stomach. He opened his eyes and saw his earlier discarded shirt resting in his lap, looking up he saw Chase standing next to him, typing into his main computer. Jack quickly re-donned his shirt and sat forward so he could see what Chase was doing. He was actually surprised to see that Chase was running diagnostics, cross-examining Jack's DNA, and using the information to bio-engineer something of a cure.

"How...How do you know this stuff?" Jack asked, his voice both exhausted and full of curiosity. Without stopping his work Chase sighed and answered.

"I've been alive for over fifteen-hundred years, I've studied many things over my life. Learning from the very best and adding to my vast knowledge."

"But Wuya's just as old as you are and I'm surprised she knows how to cook...though, she was stuck in a puzzle box for most of it..." Jack muttered to himself, answering his own tired question. Chase nodded slightly, eying Jack's slumped and tired form, and stood back to his full height. Jack heard his printer roar to life and print off six pages of information. The noise made Jack cringe in pain and wish to smash the machine with a hammer. Chase grabbed the pages and folded them before tucking them into his armor.

"I've done what I can, I think I have a way to fix this, but I will need to do some testing and hunt down the serpent that bit you."

"Um, the snake-thing seemed to dislike the smell of the flowers outside the cave so it might still be in there."

"Very well."

Jack sighed and pushed himself to his feet, a wave of vertigo hitting him like an avalanche. Jack gripped his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. A garbled noise met his ears and he glanced around, his vision suddenly blurred and dark. Jack grit his teeth and gripped the front of his shirt as he pinched his eyes shut again. He released his chair and instantly regretted it. His legs gave out from beneath him and he collapsed on the ground, muffled shouts meeting his ears as his consciousness faded.

* * *

><p>Okay, um...I don't quite know what to say so I'll just say the usual.<p>

Please leave me comments and reviews and tell me what you liked, hated, and what I need to change or improve.

Also, if there's things you guys would like to see happen, like that banana part earlier, just say so and if I can I'll try and work it into later chapters.


	3. Monsters and Cartoons

Booya! Who rocks and got a chapter up! Me that's who! *happy dance*

Actually you guys can thank Lily Twisted for me updating so soon. ^^ Thank you Lily, I read your comment yesterday and felt so giddy that I had to finish this and put it up. So everyone thank Lily for this update!

Also, I'm doing my best to get these done and uploaded quickly, it's just hard for me to get motivated most of the time.

* * *

><p><em>Piercing golden eyes glared out at him from the darkness. Sharp and feral. They were the eyes of a massive, bloodthirsty beast. A low hiss met his ears as its long blue tongue flicked out and sent chills up his spine. Glittering scales shone ever so slightly in the black as the creature moved around him. He swallowed hard and took a step back. He let out a scream when the beast shot forward, wrapping itself around him and binding his arms and legs in place. He struggled against its coils and felt it tighten its hold, crushing the air from his lungs as it bent its head down close to his face.<em>

_"You are mine boy, mine and no one ssshall take you from me." It hissed, its voice radiating in his head like nails on a chalk board. He gasped for air and tried to free himself, but to no avail. It hissed, its tongue flicking across his face. He leaned his head back as far away from the beast as he could and felt its coils tighten again. He could practically hear his bones groaning against the pressure, just moments away from cracking and splintering. The pain was horrific. _

_"You'll give in eventually," It hissed, drawing his attention back. "When you do, you'll feel my power and become unssstoppable."_

_He gasped as blue blood dripped from the creature's mouth, horrific images flashing through his mind. Death and destruction. The bodies of everyone he knew, torn apart and scattered across the ground. Standing on top of the mountain of bodies was him. Soaked in blood, claws and fangs glittering as his glowing yellow eyes pierced through the shadows._

_He shut his eyes and let out a painful sob, his ribs cracking under the pressure of the beast's coils. He opened his eyes again when he felt the beast move. It raised its head and opened its jaws, bringing its head down swiftly and slammed its jaws shut on his head with a sickening crunch._

* * *

><p>Jack woke up with a start. He was laying on his back, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. He was drenched in a cold sweat and his heart was pounding in his throat. His hands were gripping his sheets so tightly that it hurt and warm tears coated his cheeks. Jack whimpered and covered his eyes with his arms. He bit his lip and attempted to calm his trembling body.<p>

"Jack?"

Jack lowered his arms just enough so he could see who was speaking to him. The scream and failing that followed seeing those dark, golden eyes sent Jack into a frenzy. All while screaming, Jack scrambled back and fell off the edge of the bed before jumping up and spinning to face the door, running like his life depended on it. Chase blinked away his surprise and moved with superhuman speed to shut the door. With Chase in front of him, his golden orbs meeting Jack's, Jack screamed again and tried to bolt away to the window. His mind a flurry of fear and panic. He was stopped in his tracks when he felt strong limbs wrap around him and pin his arms to his sides. This only fueled his fear and caused him to scream and kick, trying desperately to get away.

Chase didn't know what was wrong but Jack was afraid. Afraid of him. Chase pinned Jack's arms and held him against his chest, placing his lips next to Jack's ear and whispering harshly.

"Jack, calm down. You're safe."

Jack was struggling so much that he couldn't hear him and was starting to slip out of Chase's grasp. Jack planted his feet and straightened his body, slamming the back of his head into Chase's nose. The moment Chase's arms loosened Jack clawed his way free and he bolted. He tripped over his own feet and ended up scrambling into the corner and balling up. He pulled his legs in close and covered his head with his arms as he whimpered and cried.

Chase was completely at a loss, he had never seen Jack like this before, so afraid of him. Chase had never had to comfort anyone before either, so he didn't know what to do in order to help Jack. He moved slowly, stopping a foot away and slowly kneeling down.

"Jack." He said, keeping his voice just above a whisper and as calm as possible. Jack didn't respond and simply stayed in his fetal position with his eyes screwed shut. Chase frowned and put out a hand and touched Jack's shoulder, keeping his touch gentle when Jack flinched.

"Jack, it's only me. I promise, you are in no danger."

He watched patiently as Jack's trembling slowly subsided and he lowered his arms just enough so he could see Chase's face. At first he was afraid again of Chase's eyes and let out a small whimper. When he saw Chase's oddly concerned look all his fear melted away.

"Ch-Chase?" Jack stuttered.

"Yes Spicer, it's just me." Chase was surprised when Jack's eyes swelled with tears and he practically tackled the warlord. Jack wrapped his arms around Chase's waist and planted his face into his chest. Chase held deathly still as Jack sobbed quietly into his armor. Chase placed a hesitant hand on Jack's back and waited patiently for Jack's sobbing to settle. It took a while but Jack eventually stopped crying and released his hold on Chase. The warlord looked down and watched Jack pull away and rub his eyes, his head hung low.

"Better?" Chase asked, his voice making Jack twitch and nod slowly.

"Good, come." Chase said, standing and offering his hand to Jack. Jack kept his head down, his hair hiding his eyes, but took Chase's hand and was pulled to his feet. Chase released Jack's hand but placed a hand on his shoulder and walked him to the bathroom.

"You need a bath. You've been out for a few days-"

"What?" Jack yelped, looking up at Chase with wide, tear stained eyes. Chase put up a hand to silence him and explained.

"When you collapsed, not only were you heavily drugged and ill, but you had exhausted yourself of what little energy you had. Wuya explained that you hadn't eaten anything substantial in the last few days."

Jack blushed and looked away. Why did Wuya have to tell him that? It's not like it was anything new.

"Because of that," Chase continued. "You've been unconscious the last three days."

Chase pushed Jack into the bathroom and motioned for him to strip. Jack blushed furiously, but had no chance to argue, Chase moved past him and turned on the water for the bathtub. Jack's personal bath was more like a large jacuzzi than a bathtub. It was at least five feet deep and almost ten feet wide. Chase refaced Jack and kept speaking as Jack pulled off his shirt.

"While you were out, I had the opportunity to investigate the cave and look for the serpent...it was no longer there."

This made Jack stumble, his pants down to his knees.

"H-How? Where did it go?" Jack asked worriedly, catching himself from falling and kicking off his pants.

"There was a second entrance that it must have used to leave."

Jack frowned and rolled up his clothing, tossing it into his laundry basket before turning back. He stared at the sight that met him, his face turning a darker red than his hair. Chase was standing with his back turned to him, stark naked as he poured scented bubble bath into the water. Jack gulped and instantly looked away when Chase glanced back at him.

"You're not getting in in your underwear are you?" Chase asked, raising an eyebrow when he saw Jack was still in his pink and black boxers. If it was possible, Jack blushed even more and shook his head slightly. Chase smirked and climbed into the bath, leaving Jack to quickly strip off his boxers and rush in, with the hopes of not being seen. Chase of course pretended not to look and kept his grin to himself, watching Jack rush in and yelp at the heat of the water. Jack was intensely grateful for the mountain of bubbles that covered the top of the water. Chase settled against the side, his arms resting on the edge and his head tilted back slightly as he soaked in the warmth. Jack on the other hand had settle on the opposite side, soaking up to his shoulders as he gripped the side.

Chase opened an eye and peeked out at Jack, his bright red hair standing out against the white foam. Chase lifted a hand and slapped it against the surface of the water, splashing Jack and earning a small yip. Jack looked back at Chase with wide eyes, his now wet hair dripping in his face. Chase motioned for Jack to move closer and smirked when Jack hesitantly swam over. When Jack was next to him he placed his hand on the top of his head and dunked him under the surface. He quickly pulled him back up, but Jack was still a gasping, sputtering mess when he came back up. Before Jack could yell at Chase, he was spun around so his back was to the warlord and he felt shampoo drip into his hair.

Jack sat still with just his head above the water as Chase massaged his head, gently washing his hair. Jack stiffened when he felt Chase's hands lower to his shoulders and start massaging his shoulders and back. Jack couldn't help but melt into Chase's strong hands, his eyes closed and he unconsciously leaned back. Chase stopped when Jack sighed and pulled away, facing him with angry eyes.

"I'm really not in the mood for this, no matter how sweet this dream is."

Chase blinked at him once before shaking his head and dunking him back under the water. For a second time Jack resurfaced as a sputtering mess, opening his eyes to see Chase literally inches from his face.

"You're not dreaming." He said, leaning back when Jack gulped. Jack frowned and slid further into the water so it came up to his chin.

"If I'm not dreaming then tell me why you were in my room when I woke up."

"I needed you awake before I could proceed with anything and thought it best to wait by your side until you awoke."

"...Then why are you taking a bath with me and washing my hair?"

"Because I have not had time to bath properly the days you were unconscious and was unwilling to leave you to your own devices. You've been out for a few days, I didn't want you passing out and drowning."

"I...Why do you even care?" Jack asked, his question catching Chase off guard. Chase looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Why do you care if I drown? I thought I was just a pathetic insect to you."

Jack's unnaturally unfeeling eyes confused Chase to no end. Chase was actually fumbling for words, he looked completely calm on the outside, but on the inside he just didn't know what to say. When he did speak, he nearly face-palmed at what he said.

"It's my fault you were bitten. You're my responsibility."

Jack frowned and floated further away.

"So you just feeling guilty that you got me hurt and don't want me dying and leaving that on your conscious." Jack said, his words more of a statement than a question. Chase wanted to shake his head, to say that's not what he meant, but he just sat there, still as death, like a fool. Jack's face fell and he looked away, moving to the edge to pull himself out.

"That's what I thought." Jack muttered quietly, placing his hands on the edge and hoisting himself out of the water. Chase grit his teeth and snagged Jack's arm, yanking him back into the water and moving him into his lap.

"That's not it you idiot." He growled, a bit harsher than he meant to. Jack just sat in his lap, staring up at him with startled crimson eyes.

"It's my fault you were hurt and I do feel guilty about it, but I care for you. You are my responsibility, my ally, my...my Jack."

Chase's eyes were stern, but not angry in the least.

"You're mine. I don't care what happens, you are mine and I won't let anything happen to you."

Jack felt his face heat up and his heart stop. Chase's eyes softened ever so slightly and he sat back, shifting Jack so he was straddling his waist. Chase wrapped an arm around Jack's waist and gazed up at him with the softest gaze Jack had ever seen. That all came to a screeching halt when the door slammed open and Chase practically shoved Jack off his lap. Jack fell back and splashed under the water, resurfacing for a third time as a flailing mess. That was getting really damn old. Jack coughed and wiped the water from his eyes, looking towards the door to see Wuya standing there looking raggedly out of breath and utterly relieved.

"What's wrong Wuya?" Jack asked, moving to the edge and looking over at her confused. Wuya leaned against the door and sighed.

"Yes-Bot said he heard you screaming a while ago, I was afraid something had happened."

"He's fine Wuya, he had a nightmare and took a bit to calm down." Chase said, turning slightly to face the witch, who looked at him like she hadn't noticed he was there. Both Wuya and Jack watched Chase lift himself out of the water and was suddenly dry and re-clothed. Jack quickly pulled himself out as well and snatched a towel off a rack, wrapping it around his waist. Wuya moved away from the door and let Chase and Jack through, placing a slender hand on Jack's pale shoulder.

"You alright?" She asked, concern leaking into her voice. Jack didn't answer but gave her a weak smile and nodded. While Chase stood by the door to the hallway, Jack moved to his walk-in closet and quickly changed into his black pants and a clean Frankenstein shirt. He looked around for his goggles and eventually spotted them on the nightstand next to his bed. He trotted over and quickly placed them around his neck instead of on his head like usual. He didn't bother putting on his eyeliner or gelling his hair so he looked even paler than normal, his bright hair hanging around his face like a bloody halo.

When Jack was done Chase turned and exited the room with a brisk pace. Jack followed after him, Wuya right behind him. As they descended the stairs to the first floor Wuya placed a hand on Jack's shoulder and whispered to him as they walked.

"Are you sure you're alright? You rarely have nightmares anymore."

"No...not really, I dreamed about that serpent thing...it was...unsettling to say the least."

"What happened? It's rare that you would scream in your sleep."

"It..wasn't in my sleep..." Jack said, stopping and turning to her with a melancholy look that made her frown even more.

"I was awake...I saw Chase's eyes when I woke up and...I guess I freaked out a little..."

"How much is a little?" Wuya asked, leading Jack to the living room to sit him down on the couch. She sat across from him on the armchair.

"Um...screaming and running from him...and kinda bashing him in the face with the back of my head, then sobbing in a corner for a minute..."

"Oh...it was that bad?"

Jack nodded and wrung his hands together, looking away to where Chase was standing in the kitchen with his back to them.

"I-It...it was horrible. I could feel it crushing me...my bones cracking under the pressure a-and it spoke to me. In this horrible, painful hissing inside my head. It said I belonged to it and I would give in eventually and become unstoppable...it showed me images of myself as...something horrible...a monster standing atop a mountain of bodies..."

Jack was shaking at this point, his eyes half lidded and brimming with tears as he fisted his trembling hands together. Wuya bit her lip and moved off her chair to sit next to him, putting her arms around him and holding him close to her chest like a mother would to comfort her son. Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and breathed heavily as he tried not to cry.

"It was horrible...the monks, Le Mime, Ashley, Tubbi, Mom and Dad, even you and Chase...all torn apart by my hand..."

His grasp tightened and Wuya gently stoked his back, giving a quick, wary glance to Chase. Chase gave her a stoic glance before turning away to finish what he was doing. Wuya soothed Jack's nerves with expert practice, quickly calming him down with sweet whispers and gentle touches. Jack was soon calm enough to pull away from her grasp and run a pale hand through his hair. He sighed and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Sorry..." He muttered quietly.

"For what?" Wuya asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"For being such a puss...I'm eighteen and I'm still such a child..."

"After what you've been though? I think you have the right to be." She said with a comforting smile. He smiled back at her and both of them spun around when Chase walked briskly back into the room.

"Wuya, get up, I've relocated the serpent and I need you with me."

Wuya quickly stood, but halted when she looked back down at Jack.

"What about-"

"He'll be fine, I'm leaving my lion, Arthur, here. We need to move now if we want to catch it."

Wuya nodded and reached into her sleeve, pulling out Jack's com-link and tossing it to him.

"Keep me updated, I want to hear from you if you even feel a little dizzy. And I want you no where near the lab, got it?"

Jack smiled and nodded, slipping the band onto his wrist. Wuya gave a curt nod and took her place by Chase, both of them disappearing. Jack sighed and sat back, squeaking and pulling his legs up when he felt something brush against his leg. He looked down and saw a very large lion laying at his feet. The lion, obviously Arthur, looked up at him with dark green eyes and tilted its head in confusion, its dark mahogany colored mane tossed around its face in a strange case of bed-head. Jack frowned and stuck his tongue out.

"Don't do that. You scared the crap out of me."

Arthur just rolled his eyes and laid back down. Jack pursed his lips and looked around, it was way to quiet for his liking.

"Do you mind if I watch tv?" He asked, feeling kinda silly talking to a lion, but he felt like it would be rude to turn it on without asking first. Arthur cracked open an eye and yawned, making Jack jump slightly. Jack watched Arthur stand up and walk over to the smaller couch, grabbing the remote in his mouth and walking back over to drop it in Jack's lap. Jack smiled and picked up the remote and turned on the television. He flipped through channel after channel before he settled on Tom and Jerry, Arthur perking up from his spot on the floor when the intro music started.

"A Tom and Jerry fan huh?" Jack chuckled, watching Arthur look away and lower his ears in embarrassment.

"Relax, I won't tell. You know, you can come up on the couch if you like, it's plenty big enough and way nicer than the floor."

Jack had to stifle a laugh at the excited look the giant cat gave him. Jack scooted over and Arthur climbed up next to him, laying his massive head in Jack's tiny lap. They sat quietly for several episodes of the fast-paced cartoon, both laughing in their strange ways when Jerry would hit Tom with some strange object, or Spike would hit Tom in some way.

Both were so relaxed and comfortable with each other by the end of the third episode that Jack ended up scratching Arthur's ears and belly, making the big cat purr like no tomorrow. When Tom and Jerry was over Jack jumped through the channels, eventually giving up and settling on Family Guy when he couldn't find anything better.

He leaned back into his seat and both he and Arthur jumped when the doorbell rang. Jack looked back over his shoulder before looking down at Arthur. He sighed and stood up, he head swimming ever so slightly from sitting for too long. Arthur followed him to the door and growled when Jack opened it to reveal Omi standing on his steps with a concerned look on his round face.

"Relax man," Jack said, patting Arthur's head before looking down at the little monk. "What do you want cheese-ball? It's too early for you losers to bug me."

"But it is past noon...I simply wish to know if you are well, Jack Spicer. You have been missing for a few days...we did not see you at the last showdown and Raimundo said things about you being poisoned..."

"I'm fine, now go away." Jack said, closing the door and turning to return to the couch. He cursed when Omi knocked again and he spun around and opened the door.

"What?"

"You do not seem well."

"I'm. Fine. Leave. Me. Alone." Jack growled out, gritting his teeth in anger.

"But you look awful and your nose is bleeding."

"Wha-?"

Jack looked down and saw that blood was dripping from his nose onto his red frankenstein shirt.

"Sonova-!"

He turned and ran into the kitchen for a paper towel. Ripping it from the roll and cleaning his shirt before holding it to his nose. He glanced over when he saw Omi standing in the doorway to his kitchen next to Arthur. Both watching him with big puppy-dog eyes. Jack sighed and strode past them to sit back on the couch.

"I'm fine Omi...where are your stupid friends? Didn't they come with you?"

"No, I did not tell them I was coming here. I feel Kimiko would have stopped me if I had."

"You're probably right..."

Jack tilted his head back and closed his eyes, still holding the towel to his nose in hopes that the bleeding would stop soon. Jack was surprised when he felt Omi's small hand touch his knee.

"I am sorry you are ill, Jack Spicer."

"...It's fine cheese-ball...I get sick all the time."

Omi fell quiet and climbed onto the couch next to Jack, who proceeded to ignore the tiny monk. Jack felt Arthur climb up and lay on his other side. Omi spotted the television and tugged on Jack's shirt.

"What do you want?"

"What show is this?"

Jack cracked an eye open and stared at the massive screen for a moment.

"It's South Park." He muttered, re-closing his eye and relaxing back into the couch. It took him a moment but Jack's eyes popped open and he grabbed the remote and quickly changed the channel to SpongeBob.

"Why did you change it?" Omi asked, confused by Jack's actions. Jack dropped the remote next to his hip and glanced sideways at the smaller boy.

"Because I think Kimiko would mutilate me and feed me to Dojo if I let you watch that show. Watch some SpongeBob instead."

Jack rolled his eyes when Omi just stared at him in confusion. Jack pulled the paper towel away and checked his nose, satisfied when it didn't start bleeding again. He motioned Arthur to move over and laid down against his hip, watching SpongeBob and Patrick singing about being men. Jack slowly drifted off to sleep, a smile tugging on the corner of his lips whenever he heard Omi laugh at the cartoon.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until his door slammed open several hours later that Jack woke up with a start.<p>

"Ah! Evil fish biker with a mustache!" Jack screamed, nearly falling off the couch, saved only by Arthur catching the back of his shirt and pulling him back up. When Jack was back on the couch Arthur leapt over the back and growled at the intruders. Jack glanced over the back and rolled his eyes when he saw the other monks standing in the doorway with halfhearted fighting stances.

"Umm...Omi?" Rai called his companion's name quizically, spotting the little monk on the couch watching Spongebob with a juice box in his tiny hands.

"Hello Raimundo!" Omi called with a smile, hopping down from the couch and running over to them past the massive growling lion. Omi stared spouting several episodes of Spongebob to the others, waving his juice box around as he spoke excitedly. Jack growled and grabbed a pillow, laying down covering his head with it and cursing himself for letting the small monk stay and watch cartoons in the first place.

"You can ignore them Arthur." Jack muttered from the couch. Arthur relaxed and walked back over to Jack, laying down on the floor in front of him. As Rai and Clay tried to quiet the chittering monk, Kimiko made her way over to the couch and peered down at Jack.

"What's up with you?"

Jack sat up and glared at her over the back of the couch.

"I'm tired, I have a headache, I feel sick to my stomach, and I'm about to kill the cheese-ball."

Kimiko laughed at him and he glared at her more. Jack got up and straightened his shirt, facing away from them as he stumbled towards the stairs that led to his lab.

"Just take the mini-monk with you and leave me alone." Jack growled, leaning against the wall and gripping his head as he was hit by a wave of vertigo. Arthur quickly moved to Jack's side, helping him stand. Omi stopped speaking and turned back to face Jack with a worried look. Jack's breathing had become more ragged and his nose was bleeding again. They watched him curse and stumble quickly past them to the kitchen for another paper towel. Keeping a hand on Arthur's back to help him stay standing. As he held the towel to his nose he glared at them and leaned more against the lion.

"What?"

"You really don't look well, Jack. Are you sure-?"

"I'm fine." Jack said, cutting Raimundo off and shuffling back towards his lab, leaving Arthur behind this time.

"Just leave, I don't need your help or your pity..." He muttered, taking a deep breath and starting down the stairs. He made it two steps before his legs gave out and he let out a quiet yelp and tried to grab the railing. He missed, but a felt a strong arm wrap around his waist and catch him from falling down the tall stairs.

"While I reckon we all would like tah believe ya, Spicer. Ah figure you falling down the stairs would be more than proof of yer need for alittle help." Clay said, his southern drawl making Jack want to claw his face off. Jack was unable to though, his entire body racked with pain and his head pounding as he hung limply in Clay's hold.

"I-I...I don't need your...damn...help..." Jack tried to say, gripping Clay's arm when Clay lifted him back to the top of the stairs. His head and stomach swimming at the movement.

"But...as long as you're offering...you might want to get me a bucket. Quickly." Jack said, covering his mouth and squeezing his eyes shut. Omi quickly ran into the kitchen and grabbed the trash can, running back and setting it in front of him just in time. Jack dropped down next to the can and gripped the sides of it as he emptied his stomach once again. Clay kept his hands on Jack's sides to keep him from falling over while he puked. While Omi and Clay took care of Jack, Kimiko and Raimundo quickly worked with Arthur to round up a few things, the large cat willing to immediately assist them in their endeavor.

When Jack was done he practically collapsed in Clay's arms, breathing heavily as his eyes started to water from his raging headache. Clay took one of Jack's arms and put it around his shoulders before hoisting Jack to his feet, slowing down when Jack gasped in pain. Clay started to move Jack towards the couch and was surprised when Jack dug his heels in and shook his head, looking at Clay with tired red eyes.

"I...I need to go to my lab...please?" Jack gasped out, watching Clay contemplate it for a moment before shaking his head.

"No way, ya need rest, not to be messing around in yer basement with some wild contraptions."

Jack frowned and was going to argue when Clay scooped him up bridal style and carried him to the couch, the quick movement once again silencing him. To Jack's surprise Kimiko and Rai had gotten a few blankets and pillows from his closet and had set up a small, neat little bed on the larger couch. Clay set Jack down and Kimiko covered him up with the blankets, both of them earning a silent glare from the albino teen. Omi set the trash can in front Jack and Rai leaned over the back of the couch.

"Need anything?"

Jack was quiet, his half closed eyes staring into empty space.

"Jack?" Rai said, leaning over more to try and see Jack's face.

"Yo dude, you okay?"

Jack frowned and looked up at him, not even turning his head.

"Fine...leave me alone..." Jack muttered, sounding truly exhausted. His eyes started to drift shut for a moment before they reopened and he cursed.

"Shit..." Jack said to himself, sighing and lifting his wrist. He pressed a few buttons on his communicator, waiting for only a second until Wuya's voice sounded from the device.

"What's up Jack? You okay?"

"No," Jack said flat out, closing his eyes as he spoke. "Feel like shit and I threw up again."

"Need us to come back?"

"No, the monks are here, I just promised I tell you if something happened so I did."

"Alri-wait, what are the xiaolin doing there?"

"Omi came to check on me earlier and ended up staying for a while. The others showed up a little while ago."

"...Alright, We had the serpent for a while, but it got away. We're tracking it now, think you'll be okay for now?"

"Yeah."

"Call if you need us back home."

"Mhm."

Jack hung up and dropped his arm weakly, letting out a long sigh and relaxing into the warmth of the blankets. Rai moved over to the small couch and sat down, Omi coming over to join him, Clay took a seat in the armchair, and Arthur laid down in front of him again. Kimiko walked in front of Jack and placed a hand to his forehead, frowning when Jack opened his eyes.

"What?" Jack said, too weak to pull away from her touch.

"You have a fever."

"That's new?"

Jack watched her as she turned away and disappeared from his line of vision.

"Why are you guys even still here?" Jack asked trying to sound whiny in hopes that they might leave.

"You told Wuya not to come back because we were here, we might as well stay and make sure you don't hurt yourself." Kimiko said, returning with a wet towel in her hands. Jack rolled over so he was laying on his back and shut his eyes again.

"Whatever," He said, shivering when she laid the towel on his forehead, the cool water already making him feel better. He let out a quiet sigh and let his eyes slid shut one last time.

"Just...be quiet..."

Soon the room was quiet, only Jack's soft breathing made any sound within the poorly lit room. The monks all settled into their seats, Kimiko sitting on the arm of Jack's couch by his feet, and watched over Jack as he slept, each of them taking turns rewetting the towel on Jack's head with cold water. Arthur got up a few times to walk around the house and check the perimeter, but returned to his spot every time.

* * *

><p>This chapter seemed rather short for some reason...oh well. *Shrug* Hope you guys liked this chapter. ^^ I'm working on chapter4 right now.<p>

Please leave me comments and reviews and tell me what you liked, hated, and what I need to change or improve.

Also, if there's things you guys would like to see happen, just say so and if I can I'll try and work it into later chapters.

-Axel The Shiax Artist


	4. Not All There

**This chapter seems painfully short...anyway! I'm sorry I keep taking so long to update my damn stories! DX It seems to be a poor habit of mine. BUT, I'm taking a short break this month from my other fiction, The Runt of the Gods, to work on some of my other stories, this one included.**

**I thank all of you for your reviews and comments and they really did help :) I promise I'll do better at adding Wuya's snark and some more M+ Chack in there too. ;P**

**Also~ Don't worry about certain things in this chapter, I PROMISE everything will be explained, just give me time~**

**(Frankly I'm really glad I redid this chapter, it turned out WAY better than before~)**

* * *

><p>Chase walked quietly through the underground maze, Wuya trailing unhappily behind him. Chase spun around with a glare when Wuya's com-link went off. Wuya instantly answered it, knowing it was Jack.<p>

"What's up Jack? You okay?" She asked, sounding worried, but trying not to show it.

"No," Jack said flat out, sounding ill and tired. "feel like shit and I threw up again."

"Need us to come back?" Wuya asked, looking up at Chase, who frowned.

"No, the monks are here, I just promised I'd tell you if something happened so I did."

"Alri-wait, what are the xiaolin doing there?" Wuya asked, both her and Chase scowling at the thought of the monks bothering Jack in his poor state.

"Omi came to check on me earlier and ended up staying for a while. The others showed up a little while ago."

"...Alright, we had the serpent for a while, but it got away. We're tracking it now, think you'll be okay for now?" Wuya asked, watching Chase's posture soothe now that he knew the monks were caring for Jack instead of bothering him.

"Yeah."

"Call if you need us back home."

"Mhm."

The com-link died and Wuya let her sleeve drop back over it, looking up at Chase and both of them frowning at one another.

"...You lied to him." Chase said, huffing and turning away to continue their walk. Wuya scowled at him and followed quickly after, crossing her arms.

"What do you want me to tell him? 'Oh sorry Jackie, we haven't found a damn trace of the serpent creature that bite you, not even the 'mighty Heylin' Chase Young can find a damned scent'~" She mocked, gesturing angrily with her claws. She scowled and fell silent when Chase glared furiously back at her. Well, she was silent for a moment at least, pouting and putting her hands on her hips.

"What's your problem anyway?" She hissed, causing Chase to stop and turn to her.

"My 'problem'?" Chase echoed, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yes! Your 'problem'." She spat back. "What game are you playing with Jack? One moment you have no interest whatsoever and the next you're willing to go hunting around in the dark after a serpent that may or may not exist! Hell, I'm amazed you didn't reject him again the moment he had his little freak out-"

"Enough," Chase huffed, sounding bored with Wuya's words. "I'm not 'playing' with Spicer, he has grown in the last few years, so much so I felt he should receive the proper training if he's going to call himself one of the Heylin."

Wuya rolled her eyes, but didn't press that matter any further.

"And the fact that we could be running around in circles after something the horn could have made Jack see that wasn't there?"

"Irrelevant." Chase said, trying to focus on searching the cave.

"IRRELEVANT?" Wuya barked, stopping again and staring at Chase. "The Unicorn Horn makes whoever uses it hallucinate! We could be looking for some random serpent that Jack dreamt up because he got hurt by one of your stupid traps and used the horn to fix it!"

Chase spun to face her and growled.

"There's no way Jack could have 'dreamt' up that creature, not only did he describe a Diyu'She perfectly, but he used the horn -after- he was bitten."  
>Wuya blinked and stared at Chase.<p>

"A Diyu'She? A Hell Serpent?" Wuya muttered quietly. "-That's- what bit him? But...But they're all dead...you and Guan killed them all...didn't you?"

Chase scowled and turned away, marching down the tunnel.

"Apparently not." He snarled.

* * *

><p>Jack woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs and was instantly sitting up, despite how his head spun and the light caused his eyes pain.<p>

"Heh, told you bacon would work." Jack heard Raimundo's voice echo out of the kitchen. He turned, still looking tired, to look back at Rai who had a massive platter of scrambled eggs with bacon bit in his hands.

"Hungry?" Kimiko giggled at the drooling looking on Jack's face. Jack swallowed and moved to get up, but Arthur's head in his lap kept him sitting down.

"Relax Jack, we'll bring you a plate, extra bacon even." Rai laughed, turning back to the kitchen with the platter, Kimiko followed while Clay and Omi took their seats near Jack.

"You look much better, Jack Spicer." Omi chirped, sitting next to him as Jack smiled and scratched Arthur's ears and chin.

"Yeah," Jack sighs, actually feeling almost as good as new. "I guess I've got you losers to thank for taking care of me last night."

"No problem, Spicer," Rai chuckles, he and Kimiko returning with six plates, all carefully balanced. "we'd never leave you in that condition, gotta make sure you're all better if we're gonna kick your butt at the next showdown."

Jack huffed at Rai, trying not to smile, and took the plate Kimiko handed to him, two extra strips of bacon piled on top. Jack chowed down immediately, watching Rai hand Clay a plate then set another, that was mostly bacon, in front of Arthur. Kimiko handed Omi a plate before she and Rai both took their seats, everyone eating in a comfortable silence.

Jack's smile slowly faded and he sat back, looking over the group quietly before closing his eyes and laying his head back. He felt tired, calm and healthy, but tired.

"Spicer?"

Jack sat back up with a 'hm?' when he heard the worry in Omi's voice, seeing that everyone was looking at him with quiet frowns. Jack laid his head back again and waved a hand at them.

"I'm fine, just a little tired still."

"You've been tired alot there pal." Rai commented, still watching Jack carefully.

"Yeah..." Spicer muttered in return. "I don't feel sick any more, but I still have no energy to stay awake..."

"Well, maybe gettin' some food in yah will help." Clay said, offering a smile which Jack gratefully returned. Jack nodded and sat back up to finish what little bit was left on his plate, humming happily as he ate his pieces of bacon. When he was finished eating Jack made sure to check his com-link for any missed messages, when he found there were none he laid back down and curled up against the arm of the couch.

While the food had woken Jack up a bit more, he still didn't feel quite right, his throat felt raw and his breaths rattled in his chest. He tugged his blankets up over him and snuggled down into them, feeling exceedingly cold. With his eyes closed Jack was unable to see the monks tossing concerned looks his way, glancing at one another from time to time.

For several hours Jack didn't move an inch, he wasn't sleeping, he just didn't feel like moving. It wasn't until Jack finally got up to use the bathroom that he felt ill again, the movement making his head spin and his stomach flip. Jack cursed and leaned on Arthur in order to make it to the bathroom without falling over. The monks had tried to help, but Jack just waved them off and settled for the lion.

Unfortunately Jack did end up throwing up a little, not everything, just enough to make him unhappy. Jack brushed his teeth, sick of the taste of bile, and finished up quickly, stepping out to find Arthur and Clay standing their looking worried.

"You okay?" Clay asked, frowning when Jack nodded and put his hand on Arthur's back for support.

"I'm fine, just upset my stomach again." Jack seemed to suddenly perk up. "Hey," Jack said, turning to look at Clay over his shoulder. "think you could go grab me something from my lab?"

"Um, ah guess so?"

"Yesbot is down there, so all you gotta do is go ask him for the little yellow pills in the white bottle."

Clay frowned at the concept of getting Jack medication, but nodded and turned down the stairs when they passed them. Arthur helped Jack back to the couch and Jack flipped on the TV, surprising the other monks. Jack flipped around until he came to a old cartoon marathon. Even Kimiko settled in when Samurai Jack came on.

Jack jumped a little when Clay reappeared with the white pill bottle. Jack smiled and took the bottle from him, popping it open and dry-swallowing two of the round yellow pills. Kimiko was the one to ask first.

"What's that?" She asked, turning in her seat to face him.

"A pill I made to help keep me from throwing up."

"You 'made'?" Rai mused.

"Yeah, made." Jack said, recapping the bottle and setting it on the table. "I get sick alot and over-the-counter medication doesn't really help, so I made my own. I've made plenty of meds over the years, getting the chemicals and equipment is the easy part. The hard part is testing the meds for impurities and miscalculations."

"How do you test something like that?" Kimiko asked, her frown deepening when Jack laid his head back and stared up at the ceiling.

"Easy," Jack said with a shrug. "I test it on myself."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Omi muttered quietly. Jack shrugged again, not really answering the question. They sat quietly for a bit before Jack finally sat forward again, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Still tired?" Rai asked, folding his legs up under him, having kicked off his shoes a long time ago. Jack nodded and sighed.

"Yeah, whatever's gotten me sick is really sappin' the energy out of me."

"Then you should rest." Chase's voice echoed from the door, making Jack sit up again and look back at him. The monks tensed a little, but didn't bother to get up, affirming their place at Jack's side. Wuya glared at the monks, but frowned when Jack gave them a pathetic look.

"...You couldn't catch it?" He muttered, Arthur hearing the distress in his voice and pressing his nose against Jack's hip.

"No," Chase said, stepping closer with a deep frown. "Wuya seems to think we were chasing shadows that the horn caused you to see in the dark."

"W-What?" Jack asked, shifting so he was on his knees and turning in his seat to face them, looking at Wuya with an incredulous look.

"Jack," Wuya said, crossing her arms and tossing a glance at the monks. "the Unicorn Horn, while powerful, comes with a slight con, whoever uses it tends to...see things."

The look on Jack's face was simply heart broken.

"You...You think I was hallucinating?" Jack muttered, looking at Wuya with the same look a child gives when told the monster under their bed isn't real. He looked rejected and upset, slouching in his seat to look at the ground in silent defeat.

"Spicer," Chase said, catching the young albino's attention. "it's not for certain, but it has to be put out as an option. It's highly possible that you were injured in the cave and your mind developed the serpent as an after-image of the event."

Jack was quiet, hunkering down in his seat before looking up at Chase with bright, sad crimson eyes.

"What about the blood and tissue samples I took? What about the changes-?"

"Jack," Chase said, cutting him off with a sigh. "I've been looking them over and it looks more like your body is reacting to over-usage of the Shen Gong Wu. Your body is far weaker than any of our's." He said, gesturing to the room. "You've been using the Shen Gong Wu on a daily basis for several years now...the magic is too much for your body."

Jack felt his heart pounding mercilessly in his throat, feeling everyone's eyes boring into him. Jack couldn't find anything to say, no questions, demands, nothing came to mind. Everyone blinked when Jack turned away from Chase and stood, his legs surprisingly steady beneath him as he moved.

Jack placed a hand to the side of his head as he moved, letting his feet carry him to the stairs and down into his lab. He could hear someone calling after him but his mind was shut tight to the outside world, set on doing his task and nothing more. Jack moved to his worktable and cleared it off with a sweep of his arm, letting the pieces of metal and wire clatter to the ground as he sat down on his stool and pulled a few things out.

Chase and the others had followed Jack into the basement and now watched in silent confusion as Jack sat there, working on some random project, quiet and alone. Chase watched Arthur slip past them quietly and curl up behind Jack's chair. Chase let out a heated breath and turned away, returning back up the stairs, Wuya right on his heels.

"Now you're lying to him?" She spat, glaring at him when they got back upstairs. "Over-usage? Really? I'm surprised he bought that load of crap, though, since it came from you I'm not entirely surprised."

"Until we know for certain if the serpent is real or not there is no reason to tell Jack the truth, in the meantime I'll keep looking for a cure in secret."  
>Wuya pouted at him, but said nothing in response, watching Chase move towards the front door. Wuya glanced back when the monks popped out of the basement, looking worried and unsure. Rai and Wuya made eye contact, but she quickly looked back at Chase.<p>

"You may leave now, Jack will be fine now that he is back under my care." Chase said, opening the door and glaring at the Xiaolin with a 'gtfo' look. While they didn't look happy about it the monks still left, Rai muttering something about Chase being unable to 'take care' of anything. Chase and Wuya both quickly went their own ways, finding a place to be that was away from one another while still giving Jack his space.

Jack stayed down in his lab for a little over eight hours before his hands finally stopped. He sat, staring at the intricate device in front of him and sighed, letting his hands drop into his lap, his tools clattering to the floor. It took him a moment, but he eventually stood and moved over to his Wu vault and opened it up, pulling out the Unicorn Horn and shutting the vault again. He paused when he saw Arthur watching him. Jack smiled and held a finger to his lips but motioned for the large cat to follow, smiling when Arthur was quiet and stalked over to Jack's side.

Jack grabbed a few different colored pill bottles and dropped them in his backpack. Instead of risking the chance of running into Chase or Wuya on his way up, Jack opted to use one of his secret elevators to reach the garage. He and Arthur stepped out into the dark garage as quietly as they could. Jack strode softly over to a large black and bronze motorcycle with a large sidecar and started to push it out.

Arthur actually had to help him, seeing as it was too heavy for Jack's weakened state. Together they pushed it out the garage door and down the driveway. They took it about another block down before Jack grabbed his helmet and Arthur climbed into the sidecar.

Jack climbed on and started the engine, flinching at how loud it was. After revving the engine and slipping his goggles up over his eyes Jack took off at top speed towards the Xiaolin temple. Jack was surprised when no one came running out when he pulled into the courtyard. He and Arthur climbed off the bike and strode to the entrance of the great hall.

"Hello?" Jack called, pushing his goggles up and pouting when no one answered him. "Yo! Anyone home?" He called, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Yes?" A voice answered from behind him, making Jack jump and sidestep around Arthur to face the voice. A short, old monk was standing there, calm and kind looking with a respectable smile on his face.

"Are you looking for someone?" The old monk asked with a chuckle. Jack blushed and smoothed out his clothing, stepping back around Arthur, who seemed completely calm.

"Y-Yeah, I was looking for the Xiaolin Lo-um-Dragons. You know, Omi and Kimiko and them?"

The old monk nodded and motioned around the building.

"They are training with Master Fung around back."

"Um, thanks." Jack muttered as he turned and trotted off in the direction the monk had pointed, Arthur right behind him. Jack jogged around the building, feeling better than before, and stopped when he saw the monks fighting one another. Jack and Arthur watched in silent awe as the monks kicked the living shit out of one another. Rai and Clay were wrestling, without using their elements, in a dirt ring. Surprisingly Rai was putting up a decent fight, using his agility to trip Clay up as much as possible while the earth dragon used his strength to keep himself grounded.

Kimiko and Omi were a bit closer, going head to head with their elements, countering each other's attack with two of their own. Jack was actually quite amazed with how brutally they were all fighting, he always thought they saved such brutality for him. Jack was so awed that he didn't notice it when a burst of flame missed Omi and was sent his way.

Jack blinked and jumped back, but Arthur was already in front of him, letting out a massive roar that startled the monks as well as blew apart the wave of fire. Arthur huffed and swished his tail across the dirt, the way he stood radiated a feeling of protectiveness that Jack wasn't use to.

"Jack?" Kimiko called, her confused tone bringing Jack out of his stupor. Jack chuckled nervously and dared to step closer, petting Arthur's head and smiling at them.

"Hey, nice moves Kimiko." Jack chuckled, shaking off the nervousness as he tried to focus on why he was there in the first place. Rai and Clay were still trapped in a grapple as they looked over at him.

"Hey..." Rai called, sounding unsure. "feeling better?"

Jack nodded and flinched as Clay swept Rai's feet out from under him and slammed him into the ground, pinning him.

"That's enough for today," Master Fung said, finally speaking up from his seat in the sand garden. "I believe Spicer has come to ask something of you."

Jack blinked in surprise. The old monk always seemed to see right through him. Clay helped Raimundo to his feet and brushed the dirt off the short boy's back before they walked over to stand with kimiko and Omi.

"What'dya need Spicer?" Rai asked, rubbing his shoulder and frowning with the others.

"Um, well, I kinda need help with an experiment and it's not really something I can do on my own. I know Chase'll be pissed, but-Arthur!" Jack yelled, spotting the big, green-eyed cat slinking off towards a napping Dojo. Arthur's ears dropped as he looked back at Jack, his posture dropping from hunter to scolded child as he slunk back to Jack's side.

"Don't eat Dojo," Jack scolded, putting his hands on his hips. "you don't know where he's been."

"I heard that!" The little dragon called, having woken up when he sensed danger. Jack actually smiled and let his posture relax as the dragon slithered over, stopping a few feet away and slapping his hands over his nose.

"Yikes! Holding a pretty strong musk there kid." Dojo coughed, slithering up Clay's arm and into his hat. Jack frowned and tilted his head.

"Excuse me?" Jack asked, sounding somewhat offended. He sniffed himself a little and frowned when he smelled nothing but the usual engine oil and robot grease.

"Look kid, I know you like Chase, but maybe next time you should shower before leaving the house. Reptiles like myself can smell a musk like that miles away."

Jack turned bright pink and sputtered for a moment.

"Musk?! I don't have any sort of 'musk'!"

Dojo poked his head out and sniffed, making a face and ducking back into the hat.

"Tell that to my nose," Dojo shot back. "just because -you- can't smell it doesn't mean I can't."

"Whatever!" Jack said, waving his hands through the air like he could just make the conversation disappear. "Will you guys help me or not?" He sighed, running a hand down his face. Raimundo chuckled a little at Jack's flustered state, but nodded.

"Sure man, I'll help."

With confirmation from the other three monks, Jack moved to the middle of the training area and pulled out the horn, setting it aside along with a small knife and the pill bottles he had grabbed from his lab.

"What exactly are we 'helping' with?" Kimiko asked, eyeing the knife curiously.

"I too am curious as to what we are to help you with, Jack Spicer." Omi said, leaning over and eyeing the pill bottles.

"I want to check the hallucinogenic properties of the horn," Jack said, pulling his goggles down so they settled on his neck and brushing a hand through his hair. "something just feels off about this whole thing and I want to know what."

The monks frowned, but nodded, resolved to do what they could to assist Jack in his 'experiment'. Only Arthur seemed to pull his attention away from the young, albino genius, his ears standing in acknowledgment of Chase's, if concealed, presence.

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><p><strong>As always, please leave a comment, review, or questions and I'll answer them in the next chapter. ^^<strong>


	5. Bleedout

**Look! More chapters! Moar!**

**Anyway, simple chapter really, just setup for the next few. XP Seriously though, this chapter feels really short to me for some reason. :/**

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><p>It took barely ten minutes for Jack to explain who would be doing what and what he was trying to test. Omi was to be the control, a simple cut to his hand that was quickly healed and then observed. Kimiko was the adjust, the same small cut, but she was to take a small grey pill beforehand. Raimundo was to take a larger cut with the pill, while Clay was to take the larger cut without the pill.<p>

Kimiko and Raimundo held the little grey pills up curiously, the two of them tossing worried glances at one another. Kimiko finally couldn't take it and walked over to Jack, bending down and holding up the pill.

"So...what exactly -is- this?"

"...It's sort of like homemade Clozaril..." Jack said as quietly as he could manage. Kimiko made a face and tilted her head, surprised when Clay spoke up before her.

"Yah mean the stuff schizophrenics take?" The big cowboy asked, drawing everyone, including Jack to look back and stare at him. The blond frowned and shrugged.

"What? I had a friend who had to take it back when I was on the farm."

Everyone stared for a moment before shifting their attention to Jack.

"Is that what this is?" Kimiko asked, a worried look crossing her face when Jack hunched down like a turtle and nodded.

"...Why would you have something like this?" She asked, slowly dropping to her knees next to him.

"Why do you think?" Jack asked, trying not to hiss out the words as he directed his attention back to his backpack. Kimiko almost snapped back at him, but Omi's hand on her shoulder stopped her. The little monk gave her an odd look and shook his head, silencing her and drawing her to stand and return to the group. Jack finished up whatever he was doing with his backpack and slipped it back on, standing and facing the group.

"Ready?" He asked, brushing his hair back out of his face. With nods from the monks Jack motioned for Rai and Kimiko to take the pills and, after a moment of hesitation, they did as they were told. Jack then moved over to Omi and knelt down, setting the Unicorn Horn in Omi's hand and picking up the knife. The other monks were surprised when Omi showed not even the slightest bit of hesitation in putting his hand, palm up, in Jack's hand.

Jack lifted the knife and in one swift motion cut a deep gash into Omi's palm. Jack let go of Omi's hand as the little monk pinched his eyes shut and stammered out the healing wu's name. The horn began to glow and Omi let out a quiet sigh as the gash in his hand healed, the blood on the knife and ground as well as on his hand disappearing like it had never been there.

Jack then had Omi sit down with him and told him to tell them about anything that seemed out of place. The other monks gathered around and waited. It took only about two minutes before Omi started stuttering about everything changing colors and turning all wobbly. Omi didn't seem to see anything besides that that was out of the ordinary and it barely lasted ten minutes before the little monk was back to normal.

Next was Kimiko's turn, though she wasn't very happy about letting Jack cut her hand she still bit back any complaints and quickly healed herself the moment Jack was done. The group once again sat and waited, forming deep frowns as more time passed without a single thing from Kimiko. After nearly thirty minutes of nothing Kimiko finally spoke up.

"Sooo, I'm guessing the pill I took is stopping the hallucinations?" She ventured, watching Jack nod ever so slightly and sit up straight again.

"That's the idea, but I can't say for certain until we're done." He said, picking up the knife again and motioning for Kimiko and Rai to trade spots. Raimundo was a lot less still when Jack held the knife to his arm instead of his hand. Jack's grip was impressively tight as he slashed open Rai's arm from the inside of his elbow to his wrist. Raimundo nearly shrieked out the healing wu's name, trying to hold back tears from the pain.

Jack at least had the decency to apologize as the wound stitched itself back together. Rai let out a sigh and let himself relax in the dirt, flexing his arm to make sure the pain was really gone. The same thing happened as it had with Kimiko, after thirty minutes of nothing Rai stood and put his hands on his hips.

"That medication must really be keeping it at bay."

"Hm." Jack hummed with a nod, still not looking convinced. Clay took that expression as his turn and knelt down in front of Jack, putting his arm out and taking the horn from Rai. Jack shifted so he was kneeling and made the cut as quickly as he could, watching the cowboy flinch and pinch his eyes shut for a moment before sighing out the wu's name. Clay shifted so he was sitting after his arm was healed and waited, removing his hat and setting it upside-down so Dojo could stay seated in it.

Just like with Omi it only took a few minutes before Clay started seeing colors and odd shapes and the world started to become all wobbly and strange. Luckily it lasted barely half the time, fading away and leaving the dizzy cowboy to shake his head clear. Despite how well the monks thought everything had gone, Jack was left with a rather grim expression.

Clay and the others frowned when Jack stood and picked up the knife again, picking up the horn as well. He removed his jacket and rolled it up, setting it aside and picking up and putting on his backpack. He motioned for the monks to stand and walked out into the middle of the training field.

"I have one last test," Jack said, attaching the horn to a special clip on his belt. "a bleedout test."

"A what?" Rai asked, not liking the sound of it one bit.

"A bleedout test," Jack repeated. "when I was bitten, or when I thought I was, I had bled out for several minutes before I was able to use the horn. I want to see if that, coupled with accelerated heartrate, will change the results."

"I dunno Spicer, this sounds pretty risky." Clay said frowning all the more when Jack shook his head.

"It's fine, I'll be the one bleeding, I just need you four to attack me and keep me on the move-"

"Okay, now this just sounds stupid." Kimiko protested, crossing her arms with a worried pout. Jack couldn't help but smile as he turned the knife in his hands.

"It's fine, really, I need to at least try or this will continue to bother me."

The monks frowned at one another, but said nothing more, basically giving Jack the go-ahead. Jack told Arthur to stay put and shifted the dagger up to his side, the tip gracing just above his hip where he could remember one of the serpent's fangs piercing. The monks watched Jack hesitate for only a moment before sinking the blade into his side all the way to the hilt.

Jack gasped and quickly pulled it out, dropping the dagger to grasp his side in pain. Kimiko and the others nearly ran to Jack's side, but halted when Jack shifted into a defensive position, determination overriding the pain in his eyes. Blood poured down his side and down his leg, but the albino still put on a strong expression, glaring at them and waving a hand at them.

"Well?" He growled, gripping his side as blood poured between his fingers. "Attack!" He yelled, startling the Xiaolin dragons into action. Kimiko was first, jumping forward and aiming a hesitant kick at Jack's head that the genius easily dodged.

The pace quickly escalated as Jack dodged their attacks and slipped past them with frightening speed. The monks could feel Jack's speed was waning, but they still found it difficult to even come close to hitting him. Everything stopped however when Jack finally tripped backwards and landed on his back, gasping and balling up in pain.

Jack laid there as the monks ran up, stopping a few feet away as Jack rolled onto his back and finally took hold of the horn, gasping out its name. The monks all sighed in relief as Jack's wound closed and the blood evaporated from around them. Jack stayed on the ground, staring up at the sky and letting his heart calm down.

Jack didn't move for over fifteen minutes, startling everyone, including Arthur, when he cursed loudly and kicked at the dirt. He sat up and ran his hands over his face and through his hair, cursing and shouting as he got to his feet. The others watched in confusion as Jack tossed the knife and horn back into his backpack and grabbed his jacket.

"Jack?" Rai called, moving quickly to get in his way, seeing the irritated expression on the goth's face. "Hey man, what's wrong?"

"Urg!" Jack yelled, turning away and running his hands through his hair again. "Nothing happened! It doesn't make any sense!"

"What doesn't?" Kimiko asked, stepping up and crossing her arms.

"It didn't change anything! No hallucinations! No afterimages! Nothing! None of it makes any sense!"

"So...ya didn' see anythin?" Clay asked, frowning in worry as Jack had his little fit.

"No! Not a damned thing!" Jack barked, growling and gripping his hair in confusion.

"Maybe you should take notes about everything we've done and double check it all?" Raimundo offered. Jack finally let his hands drop and sighed unhappily.

"Yeah, yeah, fine, I'll just review the video from my...my..." Jack seemed to stammer and twitch, his eyes growing wide before he suddenly cried out. "OHMYGOD! MY BACKPACK RECORDS EVERYTHING!" Jack nearly screamed, struggling to try and get his backpack off. When the clasp wouldn't work he finally just grabbed the straps and wiggled it over his head, dropping it to the ground and pressing a hidden button inside the left eye. The monks, who were slowly recovering from Jack's outburst, crept closer and watched as Jack's backpack opened up into four different screens, two speakers, and a keyboard.

Even Arthur and Dojo slipped closer to watch Jack type at a feverish pace, his pale, gloveless fingers flying over the keyboard as the screens tried to keep up with what he was doing. Before anyone could question what Jack was up to the images halted on near complete darkness. The familiar sound of Jack's winded panting echoed quietly from the speakers, the two monitors on the side were pitch back, but the one on the bottom showed the glowing eyes of several Jack-bots.

The top screen however showed something more, Jack's pale hand holding up the Culver Crystal to sweep it around a large dome-like room somewhere deep within a cave. Everyone was still as the video played, a glint of white and gold catching the light from the Culver Crystal.

"That must be the wu..." Jack's voice whispered from the speakers. The group listened to a light ticking sound before a much more computerized voice spoke out.

'This Shen gong wu, known as the Unicorn Horn, is used to heal any and all wounds.'

They watched Jack straighten and take a step forward, jumping back when several spears flew from the wall, just barely missing him.

"I had to question it..." Jack's voice sighed. "JB-12 go retrieve the wu." Jack had said, turning to look back at the Jack-bots that had been following him. The nearest Jack-bot beeped and flew past him. The group watched quietly as JB-12 and five more of the Jack-bots were destroyed by traps.

When one of the Jack-bots finally made it Jack made a happy noise, only to gasp as a mass of black shot down from the ceiling and crushed the bot. At that moment they heard the present Jack gasp slightly and quickly cover his mouth with both hands, watching the video with an unreadable expression.

Back in the video Jack yelped and took a step back as the giant black mass dropped to the ground, the red diamond on it nose standing out between its two piercing golden eyes. Jack surprised the group by slamming his hand down on the spacebar, pausing the screen and quickly looking away with his other hand still over his mouth.

"F-Fuck," Jack stammered, sounding like he was trying not to heave. "it's fucking real. I knew it, knewitIknewitIknewit." Jack stammered more, moving his hand up to cover his eyes.

"Let it play, Spicer." Chase said, startling all of them by appearing, supposedly, out of thin air. Jack flinched, not turning to look at the Heylin warlord, but he did as he was told, reaching up and tapping the spacebar again to resume the video.

"Jack-bots! Attack!" Jack had shouted, ducking so the six remaining bots could rushed forward to attack the monster. Jack surprised them all by turning away from the serpent to the horn, calling out 'Monkey Staff' and diving towards it. They watched him make it halfway there before the black serpent cut him off, forcing Jack to use the Serpent's Tail to keep from being bitten in half.

Jack dodged to the side, the Culver Crystal casting strange shadows around the cave as Jack paused for thought. They watched Jack shift the Serpent's Tail to his own tail and the Glove of Jisaku popped into view. Jack called the wu's name and huffed happily as the yellow energy grabbed the horn. Despite the fact that none of them would ever say so aloud, the monks and Chase were all rather impressed with Jack's quick thinking.

They watched Jack turn tangible to grab the horn and flinched as the coiled serpent shot out and snapped Jack around the middle, leaving them with a frightening view of its golden eye. They heard Jack gasp and scream in pain, struggling to speak as his tail tightened around the Serpent's Tail. The monks all gaped in surprise as they watched jack slam the Unicorn Horn deep into the serpent's eye, sapphire blood gushing from the wound and coating Jack's arms as the serpent hissed in pain and dropped Jack.

The jarring impact cracked the camera on his right shoulder, resulting in fuzzy imagery as jack gasped and used the monkey staff to get back on his feet, rushing for the exit as the serpent hissed angrily. They watched as Jack activated his heli-bot and took off out of the cave, the serpent's rage-filled face visible in the back-cam.

They watched Jack turn back to watch the serpent slip back into the cave before flying unsteadily to the clear and landing with a rough thud, the shen gong wu in his arms spilling out around him. They heard him gasp and pant, quickly working off his backpack and jacket. From where his backpack landed they were able to see a full view of Jack's terrible state.

Massive holes from the serpent's teeth lined both sides of his stomach, pouring blood that mixed with the blue blood from his hands. His usually pale face seemed almost grey from blood-loss, his hair drenched in sweat and his clothing was a bit more than just torn up. The Jack on-screen bit back tears as he sat back and grabbed the blue-tainted horn, gripping his sides in pain and gasping out the wu's name.

Just like before the blood seemed to all but vanish, even the blue blood seemed to evaporate, Jack's sides sealing up with the perfect white skin once again. They watched him sigh and smile happily once he was healed, he surprised them however by how quickly he seemed to bounce back, pulling his jacket and backpack back on and stowing away his shen gong wu. There was something about the way he held the Unicorn Horn with such pride and happiness ,however, that made something tug at the inside of Chase's chest.

The group, including Jack, looked up when Chase leaned forward and tapped the spacebar to pause the video, a rather grim expression on his face. Chase quietly ordered Jack to close up his backpack and called Arthur over, petting the large cat and communicating silently to him as Jack packed up shakily.

When Jack was done Arthur led Jack away from the group and back towards his bike, pushing him along with the top of his head. Chase however turned back to the monks with the same grim expression he seemed to favor at that moment. The dragonlord scowled at them for a moment before finally sighing.

"While I'm not -overjoyed- with the idea, I'd like to ask for your help," Chase all but hissed, not sounding happy in the least. It was the only reason the monks instantly believed and trusted Chase. "I need someone to watch over Spicer while I'm gone, seeing as I can't leave him alone as he is and I need someone more competant than Wuya to watch him."

"Why -do- you need someone to watch Jack?" Raimundo asked, instantly swallowing his stomach when Chase turned his angry eyes on him.

"Because, with that demon out there Spicer will be in danger and even I am no match for it on my own. I need you to at least keep him safe until I return with Guan."

The monks blinked in surprise.

"Master Monk Guan?" Omi mused, tilting his massive round head. "Why would you go to him?"

"Because," Chase hissed. "he's the only other person who knows how to kill a Diyu'she."

"Is that what that creepy snake-thing was?" Kimiko asked with a shiver, frowning when Chase nodded and turned away.

"I might also suggest you keep Spicer here and keep him calm if you want to keep him under control." Chase huffed, vanishing in a puff of purple smoke before anyone could ask any more. The monks all frowned and turned their attention to Jack, who was sitting on the back of his motorcycle as Arthur pushed it over to them.

"So~" Jack hummed, rubbing the back of his head. "where'd Chase go?"

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><p><strong>ANY GUESSES ON WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT?! Lol go ahead XD I'd really love to see if anyone can see this coming or not~<strong>

**As always~ Please leave me comments, questions, and reviews to help me out. ^^**


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